Grudges
by Sleaw
Summary: Naruto and others are sent out on what is supposed to be a simple mission, but before long they are confronted with a long-forgotten enemy, an enemy that seeks revenge...
1. Prologue

**Grudges**

_Prologue_

A large fire was burning in the hearth. The flames, encouraged by kindle and dry wood, cast their light far and bright into the small room. Where it fell on the thick carpet, austere but skilfully woven, it revealed intricate patterns; where it touched the panelled walls and the richly decorated door, it glinted on the polished woodwork. It illuminated the carved desk and accompanying chair, both covered in scrolls, and cast dark shadows on the wall behind it.

On the desk stood a single candle, placed in a simple bronze candleholder. It was lit, even though its flame was dwarfed by its searing counterparts in the fireplace.

It was quiet, apart from the crackle of the flames.

Then the sound of approaching footsteps came from behind the door. A key slid noiselessly into a well-oiled lock. Unseen bolts rolled back, and then the door was flung open carelessly. A man entered the room.

He was about six feet tall and almost completely covered in a wide black cloak, with a hood that hid most of his features. The cloak hung open slightly, revealing a black kimono with red rims. As the man stepped inside, he immediately glanced in the direction of the desk; what he saw seemed to satisfy him, for his stance relaxed and he calmly closed and locked the door behind him before shoving the scrolls from the only chair and sitting down.

He seemed at a loss for what to do next. For a while he occupied himself with looking through the scrolls, but when he realised he had been reading the same lines three times without taking them in he sighed and put them down again. He started drumming his fingers on the desktop and stared at the candlelight, apparently lost in thought. Minutes went by.

Then he suddenly jolted upright, looked over his shoulder and stared intently at his shadow on the wall. It was changing shape.

A faint smile crept over the man's face, barely visible as he pulled the hood even further over his eyes. Then he stood up, shoved his chair aside and sat down on the floor, facing the wall. He waited until the shadow stopped shifting. It hadn't changed much – it had mostly become a little smaller. However, it was definitely someone else's shadow now. The man eyed it uncertainly. He had never tried this before.

"Hello?" he hazarded eventually.

"_Are we ready to start?_" the shadow replied.

The man hesitated. "I don't think we have met before... you must be-"

"_You know who I am. I know who you are. Let's get on with it._"

The man's eyes narrowed. "I do not wish to be addressed in that tone. You will treat me with the proper respect, or our cooperation ends here."

The shadow stayed silent for a while before answering. "_Of course. My apologies, Rousoku-sama._"

Rousoku relaxed. "Think nothing of it. Now, as you said, let us get down to business. Have you finished all the preparations?"

"_Yes. All the pawns are in place or off the board. The situation is precisely as planned, apart from one detail._"

"What detail?" Rousoku demanded. "The slightest unforeseen circumstance could ruin it all. What is this threat you speak of?"

"_Naruto Uzumaki. The Jinchuuriki. It's not unthinkable he will be sent along._"

"What, that fox child? The only one in his age group who still has not been promoted to chuunin? Is that all?" Rousoku waved the argument aside. "If that is all that concerns you then I would be surprised if our plan did not run very smoothly indeed."

The shadow was unabashed. "_I strongly advise you not to underestimate him. His beast is the Nine-tailed Fox, the strongest of them all, and he already showed its power during the Chuunin exams. That was three years ago. One can only guess how strong he is now. It worries me._"

Rousoku nodded. "Allow me to put your mind at ease then. Modosu has been working his way through our archives. You would be surprised to find how much forgotten knowledge is hidden there. Some of it pertains directly to the problem you describe, and to its solution."

"_Enlighten me then,"_ the shadow urged when the man didn't continue. "_The more I know, the more efficient I can work._"

But Rousoku shook his head. "You will have to trust me on this. This information is too important to send through such an unreliable method of communication. I can assure you though, it makes no difference whether the Jinchuuriki comes or not. We are in control of the situation."

The shadow didn't press the point. "_As you wish, Rousoku-sama. Was there anything else?_"

Rousoku shifted uneasily; his legs were already aching from sitting on the hard wood that made up the floor. "No. I do not think so. I will tell Modosu to finish up the preparations. After that, the rest is up to you." He stood up abruptly, suddenly filled with renewed energy. "Do not forget how important this is. For you and me both. We are going to change history, do you understand? Do you _realise_?"

The shadow remained silent, but it didn't matter. Rousoku seemed to be talking to himself, his voice slowly trailing off. "Change history. That is what I will do. And they will call me a hero for doing it. You just wait. They mock me now, but they will call me... a hero."


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter One_

The Land of Fire, one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, was covered in huge forests as far as the eye could see. These woods, interrupted here and there by grassy plains, sparkling rivers and limpid lakes, had once been home to countless shinobi clans, fighting each other to gain dominance in the region. Many lives were lost, and safety became a relative concept. Eventually the two strongest clans, seeing that neither of them could best the other, formed an alliance and founded Konohagakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Almost a century later, the village still stood, stronger and more prosperous than ever before. A large wall had been constructed around it, perfectly circular in nature and capable of withstanding any attack by raiders. The main gate was opened during daytime but always guarded, while a few minor gates were unlocked only for special occasions. Apart from these gates, the wall was only interrupted by a huge rock formation opposite of the main gate, which took up one seventh of the wall's length and, if you could manage to climb it, offered a magnificent view of the village. In the rock five faces were carved out: the five Hokage who had ruled over the years. Their huge stone eyes looked down upon Konoha in a way that gave the people a sense of safety and comfort, and reminded them of their bonds to the village. Directly below these rocky features stood the Hokage's office and the Ninja Academy, where children could graduate to the rank of Genin and thereby put their first steps into the shinobi world. In front of these buildings lay a large square, and from it about half a dozen roads stretched throughout the village, branching off into smaller and yet smaller roads so that a bird's eye view of the city would give the impression of an extremely crowded spider web.

The buildings of Konoha were all different in shape, size and colour, some made out of stone and others out of wood, some of them yellow or blue but also plain white, some towering and intimidating and others barely large enough for one family. Trees were everywhere; the people of the Leaf had an inherent liking for nature, and instead of cutting down all the trees in the area and build their city in the resulting clearing they had only felled those trees that were directly in the way of a particular building and left the rest up. The result was that, especially in the districts near the edge, you could be left wondering whether you were walking through a city with trees or a forest with buildings.

Another, more practical result was that there were plenty of areas within the village walls that could be used as training spots for ninjas of all ranks, although the ones with more destructive capabilities tended to train outside the village for obvious reasons. Right now, most of the training spots were empty. A week earlier, the weather had been terrible and all the villagers had longed for just a speck of sunlight – now, it had been unbearably hot for three days straight, and even those who had ran cheering through the village on the first day chose to stay inside, trying to outlast the heat by moving as little as possible.

In fact, the only person who was at one of the training areas was a sixteen-year-old boy called Naruto Uzumaki, and at the moment he was lying in the grass and staring up at the bright blue sky. He was about five feet four in height, had blond spiky hair and bright blue eyes. Orange featured prominently in his clothing as it had always done, but the top half of his vest was now black, along with the sleeves and the area around the zipper. His trousers were still completely orange and seemed too short at first sight, as they only reached to just above his socks, but this was only convenient in the warm weather which was common in the Land of Fire. He wore solid shoes, but they were open at the front, leaving his toes exposed. Furthermore, he had gotten himself a brand new forehead protector, marked as always with the Konoha 'leaf' insignia. Altogether he made a flashy appearance, which suited him well as he was a loud and lively person who didn't like sitting still for too long and seemed to have at least twice as much stamina as most people.

At the moment, however, it didn't show. Naruto had been lying still at the same spot for several hours now. The energy with which he usually abounded seemed gone, the perpetual smile which always surprised strangers had faded. For the first time in years he felt lonely again, and he hated it.

Just a month ago things had been looking quite well. Naruto had been on a training journey with his sensei Jiraiya for two and a half years, and he had been determined to show everyone how much stronger he'd become. He wanted to see his friends again, impress them with his progress. He wanted to be treated to a cup of ramen by Iruka, and talk about unimportant things. And most of all he wanted to keep looking for Sasuke, to save him from Orochimaru and bring him back to the village.

But as it turned out, he could do none of these things. The criminal group Akatsuki was still looking for him, and now that he had returned to Konoha they could strike at any moment. The Hokage had assigned most of the available jounin in the village to gather intelligence on them, hoping to gain some sort of advantage, but as a result there were a lot less shinobi in the village to handle the requests that came in from all over the country. All the chuunin and even genin were constantly sent out on new missions, sometimes handling several missions in a row without returning to Konoha in between. If anything, Naruto would have wanted to help them, but he wasn't allowed to leave the village.

_For my own safety, of course_, he thought bitterly. _Isn't this the reason I've been training all these years? To be able to face Akatsuki? Do they really think I'm this weak, that I can't even protect myself?_

The first few days it had made him angry, and the anger had given him new energy, but now even that emotion was gone and all that was left was the loneliness.

He knew loneliness well. He had never known his parents, and because of the Kyuubi, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that was sealed inside him, everyone had shunned and avoided him for the first ten years of his life. Only when he had joined the Academy things had started to change. One of his teachers, Iruka, gradually became a sort of father-figure to him, and helped him to graduate from the Academy. After that, he had been assigned to a team with Sasuke and Sakura, and before long they had become his friends as well. Then the Chuunin Exams had come up. During the harsh trials and battles the twelve participating genin of Konoha all grew closer, creating a bond that would forever link them to each other and to the village.

_Only one of us succeeded in becoming chuunin_, Naruto recalled. _Only Shikamaru. But it didn't matter, because we were all happy to have survived in the first place. And from that moment we really were one group. At least... I thought we were._

But even though he had been back for a month, he had hardly spent any time with the others. Some of them he hadn't seen at all yet. He could understand they were busy, that going on missions was essential because it was Konoha's biggest source of income. But did that really mean you had to abandon your friends? What was even worse was that they didn't seem to understand how he felt about this. Kiba had even hinted that he thought Naruto was a lucky guy to be allowed to stay in the village all the time, out of harm's way and with more spare time than he would ever need. Naruto hadn't protested; Kiba was a tough guy who liked bravado, pleasant enough to talk with on a superficial level but not someone who would understand your feelings.

_Then again_, Naruto thought, _would any of them understand? They don't know loneliness as I do, and the people who do know it are far away from here._

The sky was darkening, the sun was setting. Another useless day had nearly passed.

_I might as well go home and get some food. Maybe I'll feel a little better then._

Naruto stood up, grabbed his vest which he had used as a makeshift pillow and started trudging towards the edge of the clearing. However, he hadn't taken more than five steps when he was startled by a sudden rustling in the bushes on his left, and in a reflex he grabbed a kunai and took a defensive stance. He waited anxiously, four, five seconds. Then the leaves were pushed aside and a figure he immediately recognised stepped out into the open. He relaxed.

"Sakura-chan?"

In front of him stood a girl of about his age, slightly shorter than he was. Her most conspicuous features were her bright pink hair, which was a bit spiky and almost shoulder-length, and her green eyes, which looked at Naruto with a mix of relief and annoyance. Her name was indeed Sakura Haruno, and she was probably Naruto's closest friend.

Naruto was genuinely glad to see her. When he had first met Sakura, she had decided he was the most horrible person in the world and she had treated him like trash for quite a while, focusing all her attention on her other team member Sasuke instead. But during the Chuunin Exams, Sakura had begun to change. Slowly, she'd started treating Naruto more like a real person, and after Sasuke had left the village the bond between Naruto and Sakura had become even stronger. When Naruto had just returned from his training he had been uncertain about how she would look upon him; he had wondered if she would still consider him a close friend, even after his years of absence. But he had soon found out that his worries were unfounded. Sakura had grown up as well, and she seemed to understand and accept him better than before. She even tried to find some time to sit down and talk with him, busy though she was with her own training under the Hokage, and that meant a lot to him.

"Naruto!" she said, mildly surprised. "I've been looking all over Konoha for you. I didn't think you would be training in this heat."

"I wasn't. I was just... thinking."

Sakura nodded, but didn't ask anything. "Anyway, my master wants to see you. That's why I was looking for you. It's important, apparently."

"Granny Tsunade asked for me? Hey, do you think she has a mission for me?" Naruto asked hopefully. "I'm really tired of walking around in the village all day, you know! How can I ever get stronger if I sit here all day with no one to train me?"

Sakura shook her head. "I don't know what she wants, or I would have told you. And don't call her Granny like that. She's the Fifth Hokage, it would only be appropriate to show some respect."

"Yeah, yeah. Well, let's not keep her and that mission waiting!" Naruto cried out, and full of renewed energy he ran off. Sakura sighed, shook her head again and followed him.

While he was running through the streets of Konoha, which now bathed in the red light of the setting sun, Naruto was already fantasising about the mission he hoped to get. He didn't care whether it was dangerous or simple, as long as it got him out of the village for a while, but he secretly hoped it would involve strong opponents. He wanted to test his strength again.

He also wondered who his teammates would be. For practical reasons, squads always consisted of four members, but since there was so much to do a lot of three-man squads had been formed lately. Naruto's team had consisted of Sasuke and Sakura, with Kakashi as squad leader, but Sasuke had left, Sakura was in training and Kakashi would probably be gathering intelligence with many of the other jounin-level ninjas.

_I'll probably be teamed up with some of my friends, though. Everyone knows it's easier to accomplish a mission if you work with people you already know. I just hope it's not Shino, or Neji._

He didn't actually dislike those two, but Shino was pretty creepy and Neji was always very formal, so Naruto didn't always feel at ease around them. Still, better than working with complete strangers.

He was still trying to figure out what team would be best for him when they finally reached the Hokage's office. Sakura led the way, upstairs and through several hallways until they stood in front of two surprisingly plain double doors. She knocked, then opened the doors and bowed respectfully in the doorway.

"Master, I've brought Naruto with me, as you requested."

"You sure took your time," replied the woman inside the room.

Her name was Tsunade, and she was the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure. The first thing most people noticed about her (whether they would admit it or not) was her oversized bust; the second was a small purple diamond-shaped mark on her forehead. Apart from that she looked quite normal. She had long blond hair, most of which fell down her back in a ponytail, and brown eyes that could have made her look kind if she hadn't been frowning constantly. Sometimes she frowned because she was worried, and more often because she was annoyed. But most of the time she did it because she was bored. She didn't like the effort that came with being Hokage, and if she'd known about the amount of paperwork, she might never have taken the job. Even now she was sitting behind a desk that was almost invisible beneath huge piles of books, scrolls, writing implements and, surprisingly, a small vase with some flowers.

Next to Tsunade stood another woman, dark of eyes and hair, wearing simple clothes and a nervous expression. Shizune, which was her name, was the Hokage's personal assistant, and Tsunade graciously abused this by delegating all the tedious jobs to her. She was extremely dutiful and her stress level seemed proportional to the state of boredom of her master, as she could never stop thinking about all the work that still had to be done.

Sakura bowed again.

"I'm sorry, master. He wasn't easy to find. I-" she started, but she was cut off by Naruto who pointed an accusing finger at Tsunade.

"Granny Tsunade!" he said loudly. "Is it true you're finally going to send me out on a mission? It's unfair, the way you've been keeping me inside the village. I _know_ it's dangerous out there, but I also know I can handle it. Just let me prove myself!"

The Hokage sighed. Naruto had earned himself a place in her heart long ago, but his busy behaviour tended to get on her nerves.

"Calm down, kid. Yes, I know it must have been hard on you and I'm sorry for it."

She considered this for a moment, then decided she was definitely sorry. For herself, anyway. She had been forced to listen to Naruto's nagging almost every day.

"So yes, you are going on a mission. That's why I called you here. Can you be quiet for a few minutes so that I can explain the details?"

She stopped, enjoying the following silence for a few seconds, then picked up a letter and continued in a more relaxed voice.

"Yesterday we got a request from one of our travelling ANBU Black Ops members. He writes he may have found some clues about the whereabouts of Orochimaru. Or possibly Akatsuki. Something related to both, perhaps."

She frowned again, and stared at the paper.

"Actually, it's pretty vague. The only thing that is really clear is that he requests for a team of specialised trackers to help him examine the area closer." Her eyes looked up at Naruto, who was obviously struggling to stay silent.

"I know what you want to say. You're not a tracker at all. Don't think I don't know that. But as it turns out, we can't form a proper three-man team without you. The other members will be trackers, and you'll be their backup in case there's trouble."

At this point Naruto couldn't keep it up anymore.

"Do you think there will be trouble?" he blurted out. "And will we find out about Sasuke there? Please tell me!" He unconsciously clenched his fists.

Tsunade observed him closely.

_So determined to save his friend, even though he knows the odds are against him. Oh, Jiraiya..._

Then she noticed Sakura, who was still standing near the door. She was trying to look inconspicuous, but her hands were trembling and she stared fixedly at the ground.

_You too, Sakura? Even after all these years, you two are still...?_

She shook her head, then looked Naruto in the eye.

"Look. I'll be honest with you. I do not believe you will find any useful information from this source. The area you're headed for lies a long way south of Konoha, in the opposite direction of Orochimaru's country. The chances of him ever having been there are small, and even if he has it would be almost impossible to find traces of him now. I'm not sure what this ANBU thinks he can find there, and the only reason I'm letting you go is because it's an area where we have no known enemies, a safe zone if you will. Now, _some of us_-" she glared at Shizune, who quickly looked away, "-think that even that is too dangerous. But I think you've earned it. Go there and see if you can find something, anything at all. But don't take any unnecessary risks!"

"Alright!" Naruto yelled. "Let's go then! I'll find Sasuke if it's the last thing I do!"

Tsunade chuckled. "Not yet, idiot. You're leaving tomorrow morning, at six. Besides, don't you want to know who else will be on your team?"

Naruto looked slightly put down. "Ah, of course. I'd forgotten... so, who will be on my team?"

"Your squad leader will be Neji Hyuuga... don't give me that look! He's an expert tracker, an extremely talented fighter and of course the only one of your friends to have reached jounin level so far. I don't have to remind you that for the rest, all of them have become chuunin now, and you're the only genin left? Good."

She rummaged through some papers.

"The other member will be his cousin Hinata Hyuuga. Yes, what?"

"Ah, why Hinata though?" Naruto asked, slightly surprised. "I thought she and Neji didn't get along too well."

The Hokage shrugged.

"As far as I know, there have been no problems between the two since the Chuunin Exams. They've grown up too, you know. Besides, Hinata is good at tracking as well – every Byakugan user is, by nature. And she's just gotten out of the hospital, so the timing is perfect."

Naruto blinked. "The... hospital? She was injured?"

"She has been ill for a few weeks," Tsunade said with a frown. "Nothing serious. I asked her if she felt strong enough to go on this mission and she said she did."

She shrugged again, as if that's all there was to say about it.

Naruto was taken aback, though. He had been complaining that none of his friends made time for him or seemed to care about him, but he hadn't even known Hinata had been in the hospital. He could have visited her, could have talked with her.

_She must have felt just as lonely as me... no, lonelier. She knew I was in the village but I didn't come see her even once. Looks like I'm being a bad friend myself..._

And yet, the thought that she would be coming along also cheered him up a bit. He knew most girls didn't think too much of him. Ino and Tenten never really talked to him, and during his travels with master Jiraiya he had also seen many girls who laughed at him arrogantly or whispered to each other behind his back. Hinata was different. Admittedly, she often acted weird and blushed way too much to be healthy, but she had also cheered him up before his fight with Neji in the Chuunin Exams, and Naruto knew she was a lot tougher than she looked.

"Alright then!" he said again.

Outside, the sky was getting really dark, and Shizune started to light candles.

"If that's all then I guess I better go get some sleep. I'll see you when the mission is over, Granny Tsunade!"

"Naruto!" Sakura said warningly, but he had already left the room.

They could hear his footsteps as he ran down the stairs, taking two steps at a time.

"I apologise for him," Sakura added hastily. "He doesn't mean to be rude, it's just..."

Her voice trailed off. Tsunade was lost in thought.

"I think you should go as well, Sakura," Shizune said softly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Tsunade didn't notice Sakura leaving. She was thinking about three people, and their shared dream.

The dream to become Hokage one day.


	3. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two_

Hinata Hyuuga ran down the streets of Konohagakure. Her sandals pounded on the cobbles in much the same way her heart pounded in her chest, and there was only one thought on her mind. In just a short while she would see Naruto again.

But she was late. She should have met him and Neji at the main gate ten minutes ago, and the thought they might leave without her haunted her constantly. She picked up her pace even further. The few people who were already up gave her curious looks as she sprinted by, but that didn't bother her. The only opinion she cared about was Naruto's, and she had really hoped to make a good impression on him today, but oversleeping had blown it for her. Her hair was unkempt, she had skipped breakfast and hadn't even had time to shower. 

_I must look horrible_, she thought unhappily. _Why, why do I have to mess up now of all days?_

In fact, Hinata had surprisingly little to worry about considering her looks. Even unkempt, her straight, midnight blue hair fell down her back with a natural grace, something she owed to Sakura who had suggested she'd let it grow. She herself had also grown quite a bit and was about five feet two tall now, but her slim figure had not changed, apart from that she now looked like a young woman instead of a girl. Her arms had become more muscular due to her constant taijutsu training, but it didn't show because of the long wide sleeves of her vest. The vest itself was loose, but not so much that it would hinder her in her movement, and it was coloured in a way that made sure she wouldn't stand out (which was just how she liked it): the body was lilac and so were the cuffs, but the collar and sleeves where white. Next to that, she was wearing dark blue jeans that ended a few inches below her knees, with a shuriken pouch attacked to the right leg. Her Konoha forehead protector, proof that she had graduated from the Academy, was habitually wrapped around her neck. While not particularly beautiful, she looked undeniably pretty, and it was a shame she wasn't aware of this because it might have boosted her self-confidence a little, which seemed to have reached an all-time low today.

She had always been shy and uncertain of herself. This wouldn't have been a big problem if she had been just a regular girl. However, she was the heiress of the Hyuuga clan, and an heiress should be strong of body and of mind. Because of that, her father had tried for years to toughen her up by forcing her to train and train until she was too exhausted to even stand up. It hadn't helped in the least; if anything, it undermined her confidence even more. She remained weak, and eventually her father gave up on her and started focusing his attention on her younger sister instead, leaving Hinata in the care of a female jounin and squad leader called Kurenai.

At that point, life was a hell for Hinata. She had no skills in anything, no strength to train, and no goals in her life. Even Kurenai couldn't do anything but watch Hinata slowly dwindle away. It might have been the end for her.

But then she had met Naruto. From a safe distance, she started noticing the boy who was always alone, who always sat by himself, and who had nowhere to go to after school while the other children were picked up by their parents. She watched as the other kids laughed at him, she heard their parents curse him silently, she heard their scathing remarks and their predictions that never, ever, the boy would become a proper ninja. She heard so many people say it that she almost became convinced of it herself. But then she looked at Naruto again, and she suddenly knew without a doubt that if anyone had the ability to become a great ninja, it was him. And she kept watching him, never showing herself but mentally encouraging him to keep going and never give up. And he did keep going. He trained for days on end, trained until his hands shook too much to hold a kunai, until his muscles refused to perform, until he was out of breath and fell on the ground in pain, where he would lie for one, two minutes, before suppressing the pain by sheer willpower, getting up again, and continuing his training. It was a cycle of pain and determination that Naruto went through every day again, just to prove everyone he was as good as anyone else.

And it mesmerised Hinata. She found herself inexplicably drawn to the training areas just to watch Naruto get a little stronger each day, and while she still kept herself hidden her heart reached out and connected with his; she started to understand his pain, his sorrow, and eventually his amazing courage and strong will, and from it she formed her own determination. It was a vague idea at first, but it soon became a goal, an ideal, a fire inside her that nothing could extinguish. She vowed to herself to become stronger, if not for herself then definitely for Naruto, because otherwise she would never be able to face him as an equal.

From that point on, she started improving as well, slowly but steadily. She became more confident in herself and her abilities, though she always remained shy. Eventually she graduated from the Academy in the same year as Naruto, who had already failed two times before, and while she was not assigned to the same team she did get to see him more. Nothing in the world could have made her happier. Despite the fact he didn't seem to have any special feelings for her and treated her only as a friend, she simply enjoyed being near him whenever circumstances put them on a mission together.

And then she heard that he would be leaving the village for a long journey. It came as a complete shock, and initially she panicked. What would she do if the source of her strength and courage left? How could she improve without him to inspire her? But when he was gone she realised that she didn't feel any weaker for it. Over the years she had formed her own strength, and that kept her going even when Naruto was not around. It allowed her to become stronger during his absence, both physically and mentally. The only thing that did not improve was her shyness, and that was just what was giving her trouble now.

_I just know I will say something stupid when I see _him, she thought nervously as she took a shortcut through a small alley. _Maybe I should just say nothing. I could pretend I lost my voice... but then he will think I'm just acting weird. I should just talk naturally, but how can I do that when I'm so nervous I can hardly speak!_

She didn't recall ever being this nervous before. She felt as if something was crawling around in her stomach, trying to find a way out. Her throat was dry and she started feeling a bit dizzy as well, and every step that brought her closer to Naruto seemed to take more effort than the one before and left her with more uncertainty.

_Can I ever be ready for this?_

When Naruto had just returned, Hinata had decided to carefully avoid him for the time being. It hadn't required much effort; Konoha was big, and it wasn't as if he had been looking for her. But he had a tendency to show up at unexpected places, so she had mostly stayed in the Hyuuga part of town, and even then preferably inside.

Then she had fallen ill, so suddenly and seriously that she had to be hospitalised. She vaguely recalled being afraid that Naruto would come see her while she was so weakened, but she also remembered hoping with all her heart he would sit next to her and hold her hand, and be there for her...

Of course, he never showed up, and afterwards she mentally scolded herself for even considering it. It never became clear what had caused her illness, but it disappeared as suddenly as it had shown up and for equally unknown reasons. The doctors were puzzled, but allowed her to go home. That had been yesterday, actually. Then Shizune had shown up at her house, asking whether she felt strong enough to go on a mission with Naruto. She had accepted before thinking it over, knowing full well that if she thought about it for too long she would lose heart and decline. Shizune had explained the mission to her at home so she could rest up a bit, and then she had entered the most tiring night of her life.

She was too nervous to sleep but never fully awake either, constantly drifting between dream and reality and eventually waking up on the wrong side of the room with no idea how she had got there. And now she was going to meet Naruto, and she wondered if she was still dreaming. The stones seemed to shift beneath her feet and specks of light danced at the edges of her vision, but she had to maintain her balance and keep moving at all cost or she would never reach Naruto, never be able to show how she had improved. She saw his image floating in front of her, smiling that smile that could save the world, encouraging her to become stronger and faster, to pick up her pace further and run, run until she would get to him, and she ran faster and faster but the image slowly faded in the distance... she reached out for it...

And then she was pulled back to reality abruptly as she tripped over a loose cobble and crashed into a passing trader. As they tumbled to the ground, the cart the man was pulling toppled over, and its contents were scattered all over the street. The sounds of breaking glass, splintering wood and the cursing of bystanders melted together in a din that seemed to go on forever.

Hinata struggled back to her feet unsteadily, and, still half dreaming, regarded the chaos and the crowd that started to form around it. _What is happening? I saw Naruto... I thought... was I dreaming? _Then a hand grabbed her shoulder, and an angry voice said: "That's what you get when you don't look where you're going, girl. How do you expect to pay for all that?" She spun around in panic and looked the trader in the eye.

The effect was amazing. The man let go of her and backed away instantly, as if he'd been petting a dog that turned out to be a wolf.

The eyes he was looking into had pupils many times larger than those of normal eyes, leaving only a few bits of the eye white to be seen at the edges. The pupils themselves weren't black but a greyish white, only slightly darker than the sclera. Everyone in Konoha knew those eyes – they were eyes that belonged only to the Hyuuga clan, the strongest and most influential clan in the village. While the Hyuuga traditionally didn't seek out violence, they were highly protective of their members and it was unwise to offend or threaten them in any way.

The trader seemed to realise this as well. He hesitated for a moment, then bowed slightly, mumbled some apologetic words and strode off without looking back, leaving the wreckage for someone else to clean up.

Hinata was thoroughly confused. It had all happened so quickly that her mind was still racing with memories of Naruto. She shook her head to dispel those images.

_A shinobi should be focused on the here and now. Look at what happened... Did I fall asleep while running? I really made a mess of things again..._

She became acutely aware of the many gazes fixed on her. People whispered to each other, pointing at her, probably wondering whether she was out of her mind or not. She blushed, embarrassed at the stir she had caused, wondering whether she should do something about it, when she suddenly realised she had no time to be standing around here. She was already twenty minutes late and still had to cross half the city!

"I'm really sorry," she said to nobody in particular. "But I have to go now." She quickly slipped through the crowd and ran on, feeling particularly thick-headed. Late, tired and dirty – so much for making a good impression on Naruto. She bit her lip. Horrible as she felt, she wouldn't cry. The old Hinata had cried a lot, but she wouldn't stand for that anymore. 

_Because I have changed, Naruto. Please, please notice how I've changed. Because I've done it all for you._


	4. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three_

Naruto was sitting on the cold ground with his back against the even colder stone of Konoha's great wall. Ahead of him the main road of the village stretched out all the way to the Hokage's office, though it was still too dark to make it out over such a distance. To his left was the huge wooden gate, which had opened nearly half an hour ago to welcome the first travellers and traders.

_If we had left right when it opened we could have been miles away by now_, he thought. _What's taking her so long?_

Hinata still hadn't shown up, even though she definitely knew about the planned time of their departure. Naruto wondered if something had happened to her. Perhaps she had fallen sick again – in that case, the mission would have to be cancelled unless they could find a replacement, and Naruto was sure he would go mad if he had to spend more time locked up in the village.

He shivered.__

I'm freezing here. We should have heard from her by now even if something had happened...

He looked at the figure to his right, who was leaning calmly against the wall.

"Hey, Neji, can't you use your Byakugan to look for her?"

Neji Hyuuga was only a year older than Naruto and most of the others, but he was the only one to have become jounin so far, and for good reason. He was extremely talented, even for a Hyuuga, and most of his techniques he had taught himself simply by observing others. He had good insight in battles, was strong and quick to respond, looked after his team members and fulfilled every mission to the best of his abilities. On the downside, he was always serious and quiet, and sometimes overly strict. It was often impossible to tell what was going on behind his white eyes, and it made it hard for people to consider him a close friend.

His practical nature was reflected by his appearance. He was wearing wide clothing for easy movement, and all of it was a simple white except for his black sandals and a greyish brown piece of cloth that was tied around his waist and covered his upper legs. His long brown hair fell down to below his shoulder blades and was tied together at the bottom instead of just behind the neck, as was more common. His eyes had of course the huge white pupils of the Byakugan, and their serious, penetrating gaze was somewhat disconcerting at times. Right now it was fixed on where the road reached the small square before the gate.

"Activating the Byakugan costs a lot of chakra," Neji said. "I'd rather not waste any energy before we even start our mission. Besides-" he nodded to where he was looking, "-she is already here."

He was right. She had just entered the square from one of the smaller roads, and was now looking around to find her team.

"Finally."

Naruto jumped to his feet excitedly.

"Hey, Hinata!" he yelled. "Over here!"

Hinata heard him, found the source of the voice and made her way towards them. The closer she came, the more Naruto realised there was something odd about her, and when she stood in front of them trying to catch her breath he suddenly knew what it was.

_She's so pretty_, he thought, surprised by the realisation. _Was she always like this? Or has she changed so much?_

It wasn't that Naruto had never seen pretty girls before; when you trained under the Pervy Sage Jiraiya you couldn't avoid meeting some. He was experienced enough to tell when a girl was pretty and when she wasn't. But he had never before _felt_ that a girl was pretty, and it was a feeling he couldn't really grasp. He'd have to think about it later.

"Hinata-sama. You are late," remarked Neji.

It was merely an observation, not a reprimand. Hinata took it for one anyway.

"I'm sorry, Neji-nii-san. I overslept..."

She tried hard not to look at Naruto, then glimpsed at him once and started blushing immediately. __

"N-Naruto-kun... it's good to see you again..."

"Hinata! You've changed a lot," Naruto said happily. "I bet you've become a lot stronger as well. I have, anyway – hey, I'll show you some of my new moves soon, would you like that? And you can tell me about your adventures and I'll tell you about mine. You'll never believe it, there was this one time... what, Neji?"

Neji had laid a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "The catching up will have to wait until later. We'll have to make up for the lost time by moving at a fast pace for a while, during which we won't be able to communicate a lot. We will eventually slow down and adjust our speed depending on how well you manage, Hinata-sama, since you only just got better. Any questions?"

He looked from Naruto to Hinata, who both shook their heads.

"Then let's go."

He turned around and ran through the gate. Naruto give Hinata an encouraging smile before following him. Hinata breathed out slowly.

_That wasn't so bad..._

She looked around, gave the village a final look. She wasn't sure why. Then she started running.

For several hours they travelled at high speed, flashing by the other travellers out on the road and throwing up dust in their wake. Whenever the road reached a fork, they would take the right-hand road, until they travelled almost directly south. Unable to have a proper conversation, each of them was subjected to the isolation of their own thoughts.

Naruto was still trying to get his mind around what he had just felt. Did it have anything to do with Hinata or was it just a coincidence that he had felt it while looking at her? He could impossibly tell, and it bothered him as he wasn't used to not knowing how he felt. He thought he knew about all the feelings he was likely to have – in general terms, love for his friends and hate for his enemies; happiness, most of the time now, while misery had taken up the first part of his life; comfort but also pain, which was pretty common for shinobi; sadness and determination, gratefulness and annoyance, relief and shock; he knew all of them. And yet he couldn't identify this feeling. Eventually he decided to put it to the test. First he focused completely on how he felt at the moment, becoming aware of everything that was going on inside him. Then he turned his head and glanced at Hinata, who was running behind him. And there it was again – a strange sensation in his stomach, a slightly faster heartbeat, a hint of nervousness. She saw him looking, and blushed, and he quickly looked ahead again, more confused than before.

Hinata was also thinking about her feelings, but strangely enough she felt better by the minute. Seeing Naruto again hadn't been nearly as dramatic as she had feared it would be, and she was already getting used to his presence. The familiar feeling of happiness and confidence that he gave her were slowly returning, and she was more grateful than ever for being allowed to travel with him. About the mission itself she thought little. It looked like a particularly safe and easy task, which was a nice change of pace, and if they didn't run into any trouble it would give her a chance to rest up and recover completely.

Around noon, Neji signalled for a halt, and they left the road to look for a clearing where they could rest up. They found one, a small open area between the trees, covered in grass and moss and bathing in sunlight. Neji, who carried most of the food, gave everyone a _bento_, a traditional and easy to carry lunchbox, but Naruto disappeared in the bushes and returned a few minutes later with a grin on his face and handfuls of blueberries, which he offered to the others.

Neji thanked him politely, but Hinata was flattered that he would share with her.

"Naruto-kun..." she said shyly. "Thank you... I didn't know you knew the forest so well..."

Naruto's grin widened.

"Yeah, well, I have a nose for that sort of thing, you know. If there's food out here you bet I can find it!"

Hinata nodded happily.

"You are really amazing, Naruto-kun..."

Then she remembered something, and started digging in her own backpack until she found a small paper bag.

"Um... would you like to have some melon bread?"

She offered him the bag with both hands, her arms outstretched as if to keep as much distance between them.

"I made it just for you..." she said softly.

She blushed, keeping her gaze carefully on the ground.

Naruto looked surprised for a moment, then smiled and took the neatly-folded bag.

"Thank you, Hinata. You said you made them yourself?"

He opened the bag without waiting for a reply and took one of the sweet buns, examined it carefully with the air of an expert, then ate it. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Hinata!" he exclaimed. "These are fantastic! How did you make them? I've tried making my own so many times but they never turn out right! Tell me your secret, no wait, let me guess! Um... is it.. the temperature? No, that can't be it... the amount of flour? No, impossible... um..."

The rest of the lunch break went by quickly, with Naruto constantly talking about his experiences with melon bread and Hinata nodding and saying "Yes", "Definitely" and "Amazing!" whenever Naruto paused for breath. Neji ate his lunch in silence, not interacting with the other two, and eventually he stood up, signifying the break was over.

They had planned to travel at a slower place during the afternoon, but Naruto's presence and the lovely weather gave Hinata so much confidence that she proposed to keep moving fast, which was met by surprise but also approval from her teammates.

And so they kept running, following a road that branched off less and less and became smaller the further they got from Konoha. Occasionally they would still pass through villages, but these also got smaller and the intervals between them got bigger. Eventually they stopped in one for a few minutes and Neji explained it would be the last bit of civilisation they would see before reaching their destination.

"We still have quite a way to go," he said as he rolled their map open on the ground and pointed out their location, "but unless we go all the way to the coast we won't find any more villages near this road. We will pick up some final supplies here and see how far we get before sunset."

Naruto looked over his shoulder.

"Hey, but we've come pretty far already! We've covered about a third of the distance by the looks of it, so then we can be there in... two days."

"I'm afraid not," said Neji. "From here on out the road will get worse, sometimes even completely disappearing for a while, and we won't be able to move that fast between the trees. Besides, the weather may change for the worse, or we may be attacked or harmed in any other way that would delay us."

"Geez, way to look on the bright side. We'll probably be just fine."

"Maybe." Neji shot Naruto a serious glance over his shoulder. "But as the team's leader, I am responsible for our collective safety, and I must always prepare for the worst."

"I know that, but staying optimistic is important too. We'll travel faster if we keep our spirits up, I swear it!"

Neji shrugged. "You be the optimist then, I'll be the realist. Let's not waste any more time here."

They bought some extra food at the only store in the village, then left again at full speed. As Neji had predicted, the road soon became even smaller and less well maintained, and it started winding so much that sometimes they would travel west or east instead of south. Still, they did not dare leave the path for fear of losing their way in these unknown parts, so instead they had to move at a slower pace to deal with the constant twists and turns.

They kept going for an hour or two. The afternoon was drawing to a close now. The sun hid behind the trees, but the temperature didn't drop yet, and in spite of herself Hinata started to feel fatigued. The lack of sleep and the travelling began to take their toll; her responses were slower, her speed dropped and her vision blurred from time to time. Eventually Neji saw there was no point in continuing, and they looked for a place to set up camp, which was easy as the forest was still littered with small clearings.

It was getting dark now, but after a few attempts Naruto managed to light a small fire that provided enough light and heat to keep them comfortable. Meanwhile, Neji put up the small tent Naruto had been carrying; it would not rain that night, but it would probably be cold, and next to that a tent would keep them safe from most wild animals that might skulk in the forest.

Hinata didn't do anything. She sat motionless against a tree, completely worn out. As long as they had kept moving she hadn't felt how tired she was, but once they had stopped the exhaustion hit her with its full force. She was cold and shivery and didn't even have the energy to move closer to the fire.

_I really overdid it today_, she thought vaguely. _I'll have to take it easy tomorrow, but that will just slow us down... I don't want to be a burden anymore. I've been a burden long enough... and I've changed_. She yawned. _I think you saw a little of how I changed today, Naruto... I won't give up anymore. Not as long as I have you... with me..._

When Naruto came to check on her she was fast asleep. He watched her for a few moments, then smiled. He was about to carefully pick her up and put her in the tent when he heard a soft cough behind him. When he turned around he looked into Neji's impassive eyes.

"I will take care of her, if you don't mind," he said calmly, before walking past Naruto and gently picking Hinata up.

Naruto was embarrassed. What had he been thinking, anyway? Of course, to him Hinata was just a friend, but to Neji she was also the heiress of the Hyuuga Clan, much higher in rank than he could ever hope to be and destined to rule over him eventually. It would be completely inappropriate if a guy like Naruto, who didn't even come from a respectable family, would carry the heiress around like that in front of her own family. __

Stupid, stupid! Use your brains, Uzumaki! You're lucky he stopped you in time, or this could have been a real crazy situation.

He sighed and sat down near the fire, but immediately veered up again. Something had caught his eye. __

What was that? A reflection?

He moved his head up and down and sideways, trying to see it again – there.

He walked to the other side of the clearing, pushed some bushes aside and knelt down in the dirt. His fingers searched the cold ground, meticulously examining each square inch until they found something small and hard. He carefully picked it up, then brought it back to the light of the fire.

_It's... it's a..._

His eyes widened in horror. He looked back at the bushes in panic, then started and spun around as he heard a voice behind him. But it was just Neji, who looked at him with a frown.

"Is something wrong, Naruto?"

Naruto was at a loss for words. Instead, he held up the small metal object, clearly visible now in the light of the flames. It was a kunai knife, and it was covered in still liquid blood, which dripped slowly on the ground.


	5. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four_

_She moved through the dark corridors like a ghost, not touching anything, not part of the world around her. She was alone, so alone... had she always been alone like this? Elsewhere people were laughing, enjoying themselves; she could hear their voices through the walls, but couldn't reach them. She had to find a way to get to them, or they would forget her, and she would never have existed. Did they still know her, care about her? She ran on. The hall was endless, and there was no way out. How she had gotten in she did not know. She ran on._

_Now she stood before a pair of giant doors. She would never be able to push them open, but there was no need; they opened by themselves when she reached out and touched them. On the other side were humans, her entire family was there, and she ran towards them happily. They would remember her now and she could live! But none of them saw her. They were all looking the other way, looking towards the spot where she knew she should have been standing, but she was too late, and they had forgotten about her. Now, someone else stood there. He had their full attention. And he turned and looked at her, was the only one to see her, but his impassive eyes only confirmed it; she had missed her chance, and was forever too late, forever doomed to fail._

_But I have changed! she yelled. Nobody heard her. The room faded._

_She was running through a forest, chasing after her only hope, her only chance to be saved. The trees were impossibly tall and grey as mist, the floor was black and rippled where her feet touched it. There was no sound. She saw his shape running ahead of her, almost out of sight, faster than she could ever be. She could not keep up. She could never keep up. It was her doom. He called for her; faster, faster! he called, but she was too tired and her legs were too heavy... she fell down on her knees, reached out for his image, but he vanished in the darkness, and without him she could not exist because there was no one to know her. The trees faded, the darkness closed in. She was forever too slow. It ended here. The darkness closed in, and she vanished into nothingness..._

Hinata jolted upright, her heart going crazy in her chest and her limbs trembling with sheer terror.

_Where am I?_

She tried to stand up in panic, then knocked her head against the metal frame of the tent and fell back on her sleeping mat, clutching her forehead.

That woke her up properly.

Gradually, she got her breathing under control, and while she waited for the pain in her head to wear off she took the time to organise her thoughts.

_It was just a dream. I'm... still here. My legs..._

Her legs were asleep but otherwise fine. She started rubbing some feeling back into them.

_Just a dream. I'm awake now. It's light outside... it's safe. It was just a dream, it can't hurt me._

Yet it had seemed so real. She closed her eyes, trying to recall the images, but they slipped away to wherever lost thoughts go, leaving her with nothing but a vague uneasiness.

She looked around the tent again, and noticed with surprise that she wasn't alone. Neji was already up and gone, but Naruto had dug himself so deep inside his sleeping bag she hadn't been able to see him at first. As he turned in his sleep, his head became visible, still solidly in dreamland.

_It is odd to see him this calm, when he is always so busy and energetic..._

Hinata smiled. Seeing him lying there made her calm as well.

_He's been right here, next to me, all night... There was no need for me to be afraid. With him near me, I'll always be safe._

Impulsively, she reached out and laid her hand on his head, gently stroking his hair.

_Naruto..._.

"Hinata-sama?"

Hinata shrieked and quickly pulled her hand back. She hadn't noticed that Neji had opened the tent and was now kneeling down in the entrance. Her heart pounded and she felt she was turning red, but Neji didn't remark on it.

"How are you feeling today?" he asked instead.

"Ah, I'm fine..." she said vaguely, not answering his gaze.

"Good. We have a lot of travelling to do today, so get ready quickly."

With some effort they managed to wake Naruto, and within fifteen minutes the tent had been taken down and they continued on the winding path.

Naruto, in spite of the trouble he always had with waking up properly, was unusually alert. He constantly looked for any sign of danger, and he knew Neji was doing the same. They had decided not to tell Hinata about the kunai; her condition was already frail at the moment, and the less she had to worry about the better. Besides, whoever that kunai had belonged to was not necessarily after them. Neji had used his Byakugan to scan their surroundings, but there was no sign of either an attacker or a victim. There was, however, a slight blood trail that led from where Naruto had found the knife to a few hundred yards further, where it ended abruptly. Neji had speculated that someone had been trying to flee, but had got hit by the throwing knife and, after having collapsed due to his or her injuries, had been caught by the attacker and taken away.

Naruto had proposed looking for the victim, but Neji had reminded him that it was none of their business.

"_There are always disputes between shinobi,"_ he had said. "_If they want our help, they'll send a request to Konoha. We can't help everyone who is in trouble. We have our own task right now."_

That may have been true, but Naruto felt bad about it nonetheless. Someone had been attacked and abducted so close to their camp, and they had not even noticed it. Besides, the blood trail might as well have led the other way, meaning that the attacked had actually been heading for their camp. Had he thought he was saved when he saw the light of their fire? If so, it was all the more cruel.

_I wonder who the attacker was. Who would be so heartless to wound someone badly, then watch them struggle on towards safety and finish them off just before they get there?_

Maybe it was because of these thoughts that he couldn't shake the feeling somebody was watching them. He could almost feel a gaze on him, and sometimes he thought he saw something shifting out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned his head there was nothing to see but trees. When they finally took a break, he quietly told Neji about his suspicions, but the Hyuuga shook his head.

"At one point I used the Byakugan to check the surrounding area, just in case," he said. "There was nobody near us. I suspect it's just paranoia."

He sighed when he saw Naruto's unconvinced stare.

"Naruto, I know you're upset about what happened last night, but don't start chasing ghosts. Even if there is someone following us there is nothing we can do about it right now. I must ask you to focus on our own mission. Remember that we are doing this for Sasuke. I would have thought that would be enough incentive for you to behave rationally."

_Sasuke..._

For a moment, it seemed as if Naruto would keep arguing; then he turned around, walked over to Hinata, and slumped against the tree next to her. She looked up from her food in surprise.

"N-Naruto-kun?"

He didn't respond immediately, seemingly lost deep in thought, which was quite an unusual sight. Eventually he sighed, and said:

"He's right, of course. I shouldn't be distracted so easily, especially not now, when we only have a few months left."

Hinata stared at him blankly.

"Huh?"

"To find him, I mean. If we don't make it in time we might lose him forever. I'd never forgive myself if that happened."

He clenched a fist.

_He's talking about Sasuke-kun_, Hinata realised.

She had never really understood the relation between Naruto and Sasuke. Few people had, of course; the bond between them was almost unique, a combination of friendship and rivalry that strengthened them both, and inspired them to work harder every day. Now that Sasuke was gone, all Naruto wanted was to bring him back, but as more time passed their chances of success were ever decreasing. In spite of all his determination and power Naruto couldn't save his friend, and that hurt him more than any physical pain he had ever endured. To see him suffer like that and not being able to help...

"Sasuke-kun... is really important to you, isn't he?" she asked quietly.

"He's my best friend. Or was, anyway. That's why I have to get him back. You can't leave your friends behind, ever."

He prodded the dry dirt absent-mindedly.

"Do you... remember when he left Konoha, and we went after him?"

Hinata nodded. Of course she remembered. She had not been part of the group of five that went after Sasuke, but both Neji and Naruto had. When they had returned, two of them, including Neji, had been half dead and Naruto had been completely worn out. Neji later told her they had ran into some of Orochimaru's jounin, but he never went into details. And nobody seemed to know exactly what Naruto had done, or if they did they weren't about to tell.

"We got split up, one by one," said Naruto. "Eventually I was chasing Sasuke alone. I caught up with him. He said he wanted to break all bonds with me and with the village. We... we fought. We both gave it our best, but in the end, I wasn't strong enough... I got knocked out."

He looked up at Hinata, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

"He could have killed me, could have broken those bonds right there and then. But he let me live. And that is why... why I think... that he can still be saved."

Hinata listened in silence, not knowing anything to say that would help him or cheer him up.

_Naruto-kun... don't be so uncertain about it... I believe in you! I know you can do it! I would help you with all my power if you would let me, but... in your goal of saving Sasuke, there is no place for me, it seems... not yet..._

Suddenly, completely unexpectedly, Naruto started to grin.

"But you know what? I haven't forgotten what you told me once. And you were right."

He stood up, once again fully determined.

"I make mistakes, a lot of mistakes. But I learn from then, and I get stronger. And I promise, I won't lose to him next time!"

Hinata looked at him, unable to believe that what she had just heard. For so long, Naruto had given her courage, had inspired her to stay strong and positive, to work harder. And she had strived to become more like him, to have just a bit of that willpower, to be recognised by him as he wanted to be recognised by others. What she wanted was to be of influence to him, to give back a little of that determination, to inspire him like he inspired her. And now....

_Are those my words, that give him part of his determination now? My words, that he still remembers even after all those years? But then..._

She smiled shyly. Maybe she wasn't completely useless after all. Maybe she really could be important to others... to him. It certainly was a good start.

After about fifteen minutes Neji told them to get ready again. Naruto jumped up eagerly, as he always thought the breaks took way too much time. Hinata took it easier, packing any leftovers and wrappings into her neatly organised backpack first. Nobody would even consider tainting the untouched nature with trash. Then she stood up quickly, which was a mistake.

The world started dancing around her. The trees were spinning, the ground wobbled left and right, she felt she lost her balance and was about to fall, but then Naruto was there to support her. Slowly, very slowly, everything returned to its normal position.

"Hinata! What's wrong?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"Um... I'm okay now, I think..." she stammered, very much aware of the warmth of his arm on her back.

"I thought something like that might happen at some point," Neji stated calmly. "It's probably the backlash of our intensive travelling yesterday. You have only just recovered from a serious illness, Hinata-sama; it was careless to spend so much energy. I should have intervened earlier."

He gave an apologetic nod.

"From here on out, we'll move at walking pace until you've regained your strength."

"N-no, I'm really fine!" Hinata said weakly. "I can go on..."

"It's okay, Hinata-sama. We are far ahead of schedule. Besides, we would have to move slower anyway as we are leaving the set path."

He pointed out the new direction.

"We will travel more or less west from here, a route that will bring us to a slightly mountainous area eventually. Beyond that lies our destination. If you both are ready, then let's get moving."

Hinata still felt guilty, but then Naruto laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it! Like he said, we can take it easy for a while." He grinned. "Besides, caring for your teammates always comes first."

He let go and followed Neji.

Hinata closed her eyes, trying to capture the feeling of his touch, to remember it as long as possible. The warmth of his hand spread throughout her whole body, caressing her senses and feeding the fire in her heart, which had burned there ever since she had met him.

_He cares about me._

Then she followed.

Now that they moved at a normal pace for a change, Naruto finally had a chance to properly think about Hinata again. The feeling had been bugging him all the time, but the excitement about the blooded kunai had moved it to the background. Now it was back, and it was different, stronger than before. Even if he didn't look at her but just thought about her he felt that warmth inside, that urge to just be with her and talk to her. She didn't say much, but she listened attentively to everything he said and he knew she was genuinely interested, unlike most people.

He watched with pleasure as she enjoyed the fresh air, the warmth of the sun, the beautiful nature around them, and he noticed she really was different from the Hinata that had joined them at Konoha's gate the day before. He realised that somehow, Hinata had always seemed slightly out of place in the city, as if she didn't really fit in. In the large crowds she seemed to dwindle, and the tall buildings appeared to close her in, to oppress her.

But here, outside of the urban areas, she blossomed, and it was a magnificent sight. She seemed to be one with the nature around her, not an intruder in the cycles of nature but part of them, not an unwanted stranger but a welcome visitor from other parts. The pure air gave her fresh energy, the rays of the sun brought colour to her cheeks, and Naruto couldn't help noticing time and again how pretty she was. She moved with a certain grace that was a mix of the naivety of before and the maturity that was to come, sometimes admiring nature from a distance, sometimes kneeling down to examine a particularly beautiful flower. She never picked one, and Naruto wondered why.

"Don't you like picking flowers?" he asked eventually.

She blushed.

"Ah, I do, really. I collect them, actually. But out here, I can't keep them... I'd just pick them and throw them away later. It would be a waste..."

"They're just flowers," Naruto said, but without malice.

She nodded and smiled, but still refrained from picking any.

_She has such a gentle nature. I can see why some people would think her unfit to be a kunoichi. But I know there's a much tougher side of her, hidden behind those kind eyes. She's shown that during the Chuunin Exams, when she just wouldn't give up, up until the point where she had to be hospitalised. That combination of kindness and determination definitely make her one of the strangest persons I've ever known._

It was getting hot again, just like it had been on the days before, so Naruto took off his thick vest and tied it around his waist.

"That's a lot better. I can't remember having any summer this hot in my life!"

He glanced at Hinata, who was dripping with sweat.

"Hey, Hinata, shouldn't you do the same? It's no good being overdressed in this weather. You'll get overheated if you're not careful."

She turned red.

"I would, but... I can't, really. It's not suitable."

Naruto didn't get it.

"Why not? What's not suitable about it?"

"I-in my position... I should dress modestly at all times. It's tradition, in a way."

"Ah, come on! Who's going to mind out here? It's just me and Neji."

"I know!" she said desperately. "But... but..."

She couldn't think of anything else to say. Her resistance melted away in the face of Naruto's practicality; after all, it really wouldn't do her any good to be overcome by the heat. Hesitatingly, she took off her vest and tied it up like Naruto had. Below it she wore a simple fishnet shirt, a garment commonly used by shinobi, which was really just as modest as her vest but at least exposed her arms to the sun. Neji shot her an irritated glance over his shoulder, but she looked away, made defiant by Naruto's presence.

For about an hour, nothing exciting happened. Hinata wondered why she had become so dizzy that morning. Was it really just a lack of energy? She vaguely recalled being dizzy before falling ill in Konoha as well.

_I really hope that won't happen here. In the worst case, we'll have to return... then nothing will have changed. I'll still be that burden I was. I can't let that happen._

It was just then that, completely out of the blue, she broke into a violent coughing fit that seemed to rip up her lungs from the inside, and another wave of dizziness caused her to fall down on her knees. Again, Naruto was the first to come to her aid. Neji looked on from a distance, but the irritated look he had been wearing had disappeared, and when she finally stopped coughing he relaxed, clearly relieved. Naruto was holding Hinata's hand, and stared worriedly into her eyes.

"Hinata, what's wrong with you? Don't become sick, please don't. We need you."

Her white eyes stared into his blue ones, and she felt the world stabilising.

_I can't let him down._

She forced herself to stand up, ignoring the pain in her chest.

"It's over. I'm fine," was all she managed to say.

But Neji held up his hand. "Wait."

"I mean it, Neji-nii-san. Let's go on-"

"No! Quiet! There's something else!"

Neji looked around for a moment, then closed his eyes.

"Byakugan!"

Veins started bulging on his temples to deliver extra chakra, and when he opened his eyes again the pupils were outlined much stronger than before, signifying that he had activated his Byakugan.

He stood perfectly still for a while, but the others knew he was scanning their surroundings and they waited patiently for the results.

"I can't see anything," he admitted eventually. "Strange. I was sure that just now..."

They wouldn't find out what he was so sure of, because suddenly an extremely bright flash of light blinded them all, hurting their eyes and disorientating them. Hinata grabbed Naruto's hand tighter. Then she heard something move in front of her, and Neji's familiar voice said:

"Eight Divination Palms of the Hand, Heavenly Spin!"

She could feel his chakra swirl around them, protecting them from all sides, and when the technique ended there was silence.

As sight slowly returned to her eyes, she could see why Neji has used his defensive jutsu. All around them, kunai knives lay scattered over the ground, obviously deflected by Neji's chakra.

_Who threw these? Why would anyone just attack us like that?_

She looked around, but the dust thrown up by Neji's spin made it hard to see. Was that a human shape over there, just a few dozen yards away?

"Who are you?" Neji asked angrily.

The answer came immediately, as if prepared in advance and rehearsed so many times.

"Your doom."


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter Five_

In this part of the forest, the trees were far apart, leaving large spaces exposed to the sun and thus allowing for an abundance of smaller plant life. Flowers of a thousand different colours grew in these clearings, sometimes so close together that they hid the forest floor completely, forming a miniature forest of their own for the countless bugs that crawled or flew through the endless fields. It was an amazing sight to behold, one of those hidden pearls of unspoiled, untainted nature that could leave grown men speechless, and whose tranquillity was so intense that it could appease even the most violent of minds.

And yet this was to become a site of battle.

As the dust slowly settled, Naruto stared eagerly at the vague shape in the distance. A thousand thoughts went through his mind, most of them relating directly to the fight that lay ahead. Who was their enemy? Why did they even have one? Was he the same unknown attacker who had lost his kunai in the night before? So many questions, and to none of them he had an answer.

_Once we've beaten this guy, I have a lot to talk to him about._

But as the figure ahead gradually became clearer, Naruto became increasingly overcome by a terrible feeling, a feeling any shinobi would immediately recognise. His eyes widened.

_What is this... this killer intent? Is that our enemy, who is so eager to harm others? To kill us? I haven't felt such a strong desire for killing in someone since those subordinates of Orochimaru._

A gust of wind blew away the last specks of swirling sand, and their opponent became clearly visible. Hinata gasped, and Naruto stared in disbelief. Neji remained unmoved.

_What in the world is going on here?_

Their opponent, who was leaning nonchalantly against a tree, appeared to be about the same age as themselves – fifteen, sixteen perhaps. To attribute to such a guy that vicious killer intent and the power to fight three enemies at once was completely ridiculous.

_And yet,_ Naruto had to admit, _there is something very odd about him._

The boy was perhaps slightly shorter than Naruto, but not much; his clothing was worn-out and simple, consisting of a loose grey shirt with short sleeves and wide black trousers. The latter reached right up to his shoes, which were open at the front, and they were fitted with elastic at the bottom as to keep them in place. On his hands he wore fingerless gloves of black leather; the one on the right was altered because the hand lacked a little finger. What stood out most about his appearance was without a doubt his face. His hair was over shoulder length, raven black and all brushed to the right side of his head. It hid most of the right half of his face, but when a passing breeze blew it aside for a moment they could clearly see how strange his eyes were. The pupils and irises were black, which was not all that uncommon, but whereas the insides of the eyes were white, the outer halves were a dark grey. The area around the eyes was also coloured black, making the eyes look a lot bigger and in fact giving the boy a slightly crazy expression. A final but perhaps not unimportant detail was that he wore an empty sword sheathe on his back.

He seemed perfectly at ease as he stood there with his arms folded, observing the Konoha shinobi with an amused grin. They stared back in silence, trying to figure out how someone so young could radiate such self-confidence.

"Who are you?" Neji eventually repeated. "I didn't catch your name last time."

The boy looked at him smugly.

"Who's asking?"

"I'm Neji Hyuuga, of Konoha's Noble Family."

He gestured at his companions.

"These are Hinata Hyuuga and Naruto Uzumaki. Now, speak."

"Well, Neji Hyuuga of Konoha, I have no intention of telling you anything about myself. You see, there's really no point."

His grin grew a little wider.

"Because you won't live to tell anyone about me."

"Who do you think you are, talking to us like that?" Naruto suddenly exclaimed. "You're just a kid yourself! We'll kick your ass! You-"

He stopped; the boy had pointed a finger at him.

"Just a word of advice, uh... Uzumaki, was it? Don't underestimate me."

He shot Naruto a friendly smile.

"You'll die."

Naruto exploded.

"You bastard! I'll kill you!"

He charged, but Neji grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back roughly.

"Stay calm, Naruto. We don't know anything about him. Rushing straight at him is the worst thing to do right now. Haven't you changed at all?"

Naruto looked away angrily. The tactical aspects of fighting had always seemed rather boring and useless to him, so whenever Jiraiya had tried to teach him those he had just pretended to understand everything to get it over with as quickly as possible. Sure, he had picked up a few things, and sometimes he could be surprisingly creative in battle, but most of the time he relied on the force of his techniques and his huge amounts of chakra and stamina to win the battle for him, something that didn't match well with people like Neji, who preferred to think as many steps ahead as possible.

Neji turned his attention back to the strange boy.

"Look, we mean you no harm. We're on a simple scouting mission, and if we trespassed on someone's territory by accident then we humbly apologise. If you want, we can move around the area. Would you prefer that?"

The boy stared at him for a moment, then raised his eyebrows in amazement, making his eyes look even bigger and crazier.

"Is that some sort of lame attempt to run away, or are you really that blind?"

He rolled his eyes as Neji didn't respond.

"Fine then. I'll give it to you plain and simple."

He pointed his thumb at his chest.

"I'm Ingou. I've been told to take the lot of you out. I don't care about who you are, why you are here or what you think of me. I'm just doing what I'm good at. No hard feelings."

He stretched his limbs, then continued matter-of-factly:

"There is no escaping from me. You either defeat me or die. But I warn you, I have never been defeated before."

His half-grey eyes observed them carefully.

"And by the looks of it, you're not the strongest I have fought. Not by far."

Neji eyed him cautiously.

"He doesn't seem to take us very seriously," he said softly to the others.

"That's because he's the most arrogant brat ever," Naruto explained. "Let's just take him out quickly and get moving again."

"Don't you get it, Naruto? What he's displaying is not arrogance. It's self-confidence. We've seen attitudes like that before."

He thought for a moment.

"Remember Gaara when we saw him fight for the first time? It's that kind of confidence."

Naruto looked slightly annoyed.

"You mean when a guy is really strong? But Gaara was a Jinchuuriki, like me. This guy isn't."

"Neither was Sasuke, but look at how strong he was."

"He's from the Uchiha clan! It was in his blood."

Neji nodded seriously.

"I think that's the point. Some people can become really strong because of what's in their blood."

"Uh, you lost me there."

"Neji-nii-san," Hinata said quietly, "do you mean he might have a Bloodline Limit?"

Her cousin nodded.

"Exactly. Bloodline Limits can pop up in unexpected places, and they can be extremely powerful. The ones gifted with these talents usually learn to use them at a very young age, and once they grow up they become much stronger than regular shinobi."

_I know that_, Naruto thought sadly. _I found that out a long time ago, fighting that guy called Haku… Sasuke and I didn't stand a chance against his Bloodline Limit back then. I had to use the fox's power to beat him, but I don't want to have to use that here. To be honest, I don't want to have to use that hated chakra ever again, but I keep getting into situations where I have no choice._

_But this guy..._ _to be so confident even when he's outnumbered, he must be very dangerous. Or could he just be underestimating us?_ _Of course, he has never fought a Hyuuga before, and Neji is incredibly talented even for the standards of his clan. And I'm not just anybody either. This guy just doesn't know what he has gotten himself into!_

The thought cheered him up a bit. Even if their opponent had a Bloodline Limit, that didn't mean he was invincible. Defeating him should be easy if they all gave it their best.

Neji followed his gaze and also looked at the boy, who was waiting impatiently.

"It looks like we have no choice. He's determined to fight. Just keep in mind that we have to be careful. Hinata, stay back a little if at all possible. Don't hesitate if it seems like we need your help, but try to avoid straining yourself too much. Your condition is not good enough for an all-out fight right now."

Hinata nodded, but deep inside she secretly hoped for a chance to show Naruto she could be strong as well.

_Just give me an opportunity to help him when he really needs it, to save him when he's in danger. I will do anything to be acknowledged by you, Naruto! Just watch me!_

Neji activated his Byakugan again.

"Let's do this."

Naruto smiled.

"Alright!"

He brought his hands together in the right seal.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

A loud poof, a lot of smoke, and then there were five Narutos, all completely identical except for the fact that only one was of flesh and blood. Naruto pointed at Ingou.

"Okay team, that arrogant kid there is your target! Go beat him up!"

Four voices cheered, and then the clones sprinted towards their enemy, who eyed them lazily. They spread out, surrounded their target, then charged from four sides. Ingou reached over his shoulder with his left hand, and smiled.

With one sweeping movement of his arm he blasted back all of the clones, who fell on the ground and disappeared in clouds of smoke, which spread out and hid Ingou from view completely.

"What happened?" stammered Naruto.

"I don't know," Neji had to admit. "As far as I can see, he never even touched them."

Suddenly they heard laughter, and then Ingou jumped out of the smoke, threw a handful of shuriken at Neji in mid-air, and landed right in front of Naruto, who took a step back in surprise.

_He's fast!_

The boy swung his right fist at him, but he missed by at least a foot's distance. Naruto smiled.

"You'll have to do better than that!"

"Okay," replied Ingou happily.

He took a step forward and struck with his left hand, but Naruto stepped out of reach easily.

"You have to learn how to ai-"

Then he suddenly let out a scream of pain and fell backwards on the ground, clutching his right shoulder. Blood was flowing through his fingers.

"How the hell?!"

Ingou grinned, but then Neji was behind him and he was forced to duck as the Hyuuga's foot swept over his head, missing only by an inch or two. Neji turned, brought his foot around once more, this time at ground level, but Ingou used his hands to catapult himself forward, spun around in the air, quickly formed some seals, and brought his hand to his mouth.

"Fire Release, Great Fireball Technique!"

Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, Naruto managed to jump away just in time. The flames hit the ground with a terrible noise and rose up from there, filling the world with heat and the smell of ashes.

_Fire element?_

He steadied himself and tried to peer through the thick smoke.

_Did Neji get out in time?_

Then Ingou jumped out of the smoke, followed closely by Neji, and they landed on the soft moss without even once averting their gaze from each other, locked in a complicated dance of fists and feet in which one mistake could mean the end – especially for Ingou.

And indeed, the attacks seemed to be coming from Neji's side only, whereas Ingou had to use all his skill to dodge the lightning-fast strikes. But even in those straitened circumstances, he still grinned like crazy, enjoying the danger and the thrill of battle.

Naruto looked for an opening, for a chance to join in, but he couldn't risk disturbing the flow of Neji's moves, and so the dance went on, increasing in speed as Neji gave it all he had. Every attack was a near hit, but Ingou avoided them all, twisting and turning, ducking, rolling over and jumping away with unrivalled speed and agility. And then suddenly the fight was broken off, and Neji jumped back and landed between Naruto and Hinata, panting and sweating.

"This guy…" he eventually managed to say, "is not a normal opponent."

Naruto looked at Ingou, who had taken up a safe position up in a tree. He seemed just as tired as Neji, but equally unharmed.

"You didn't hit him even once?"

"No. He dodges amazingly fast, as if he sees all my moves coming. But that's impossible. The Gentle Fist Style is unlike any other hand-to-hand combat type. And yet… he has not even tried to block a single one of my attacks."

Ingou laughed from the relative safety of his tree.

"My, my, you guys look so confused. I know what you are thinking, you know. So let me tell you a secret."

He lowered his voice a bit.

"I know all about your fighting style, Neji Hyuuga. Every detail."

Neji frowned.

"Impossible. The Juuken is a well-guarded secret within Ko-"

"You want proof?" interrupted Ingou. "I'd love to tell you. Where do I even start…"

He thought for a moment, then started rattling as if he was reading from an encyclopaedia.

"The Juuken style, or Gentle Fist, is a melee combat style employed only by the Hyuuga family. The Hyuugas use their Byakugan eyes to see their opponent's chakra circulation system, and then use their own chakra to damage that system. Therefore, they don't have to hit with much strength – touching their opponent is enough to do damage. Some of the more talented Hyuugas-" he bowed mockingly to Neji, "-can even see the chakra points of their enemy, and if they manage to take out the most important of these points the victim can no longer use chakra, leaving them completely helpless."  
He grinned.

"Well, how's that? Good summary?"

Neji looked more troubled than Naruto had ever seen him before.

"This is bad. That knowledge gives him a huge advantage over both me and you, Hinata. Naruto, how is your shoulder?"

Naruto winced.

"I'll manage, but I don't know how he managed to cut me, and a few more hits like that and I'm out."

"I saw what happened," said Hinata softly.

Neji shot her a surprised look, but she forced herself to continue.

"I-it's true that his hand missed, but... the position of his hand was odd, as if... as if..."

Neji was the first to understand.

"As if he was holding something? A weapon, perhaps?"

"Yes, like that... only, there was no weapon..."

She glimpsed up at Ingou, who was watching them amusedly. When he saw her looking, he waved and stuck out his tongue at her. She blushed and quickly looked away.

_What a weird person is he... he looks harmless as he sits there. He's just a child, like ourselves, only... there is a wildness in his eyes that is both a calculating coldness and a fiery cruelty. And we have to defeat him. Why do we always have to fight?_

"Well, that cut is real enough," Neji eventually decided. "And if the injury is real, so is the weapon, whether we can see it or not. It would explain why he carries a seemingly empty sword sheathe around."

Naruto was still puzzled.

"But even if we know that, how can we defend against something we can't see?"

"That's easy," Neji reassured him. "Gai-sensei explained this to us many times. The theory is simply, but efficient. It goes as follows: If there is a part of your enemy you cannot see for whatever reason, then focus on what you _can_ see."

"That's brilliant!" Naruto cheered. "What does it mean?"

Neji and Hinata exchanged glances.

"Naruto, it's really rather obvious," Neji explained eventually. "We can't see the sword, but we can see his hands. If we look at the position of his hands, we can determine the position of the weapon. It's that simple."

Naruto nodded.

"Okay, I get it. Leave it to me. I'll take this guy down."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Neji said with a frown. "You're already wounded, and he's too strong to take down alone."

"He's not that tough. He just surprised me last time. Besides, he can read your attacks, remember? But he can't read mine, so it's best if I fight him."

"You're definitely... hard to predict," admitted Neji. "Okay, you can give it a shot, but if it doesn't work we step in immediately."

"That won't be necessary. Trust me."

Naruto took a few steps forward, then yelled:

"Alright! You want to do this or are you too scared?"

Ingou laughed.

"Hey, I don't send clones in to do the dirty work for me, you know?"

He stood up on his branch, stretched out and yawned.

"I was just thinking, if there would be a strategy that consisted of trying to bore your opponent to death, you guys would be professionals. If you're too afraid to fight me you can just say so, you know?"

He jumped down from his tree, rolled over as he hit the ground and charged straight at them. Naruto watched his hands carefully, and now he could see what Hinata meant. His left hand was seemingly formed like a fist, but the fingers didn't touch each other – that had to be where he was holding the sword. Naruto fished a kunai out of his pouch.

_This is going to be really tricky._

Ingou was very close now. The boy swung his left hand forward...  
_  
_A loud clang followed, and then Naruto and Ingou stood still, kunai locked against invisible sword, each trying with all their strength to push the other away.

"You didn't see that coming, did you?" Naruto said through gritted teeth.

Ingou grinned.

"You're one to talk... you're so oblivious you already got wounded several times."

He tried to hit Naruto with his free hand, but Naruto grabbed his wrist and held that tightly as well.

"Idiot," he said. "You're too confident. I only got hit once, and it was a lucky strike."

Ingou raised his eyebrows.

"Only once? My bad."

In a flash he brought his foot upwards and kicked Naruto's left shoulder, then pulled his arm free and smacked his fist against Naruto's jaw. The contact between their weapons broke, and Ingou struck upwards with his sword, but Naruto dropped himself backwards and managed to avoid most of the hit. Still, it left a deep gash across his chest, and the pain was so intense that he almost blacked out.

"There, now it's more than once," he heard Ingou say, followed by Neji's agitated voice:

"Eight Trigrams Air Palm!"

He opened his eyes just in time to see Ingou being blasted away towards one of the bigger trees, but instead of crashing into it the boy stabilised himself in the air and landed gently on the bark, then started running towards the top, meanwhile avoiding the several kunai Neji threw at him.

_He's going to attack from above._ _I have to get up! _

He tried to stand, but his limbs had gone numb with pain, and he couldn't control his muscles properly.

_This is bad!_

Ingou reached the top of the tree, launched himself backwards into the air and, while hanging upside down in nothingness, formed a sequence of seals.  
"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Technique!"

Dozens of fireballs were blasted downwards in a rain of deadly heat, towards Naruto who was still struggling to get up.

_I won't make it in time!_

But then Hinata was next to him, looking pale and worried but determined as well.

"Please hold on to me, Naruto-kun!"

Gratefully, he rested his arm on her shoulders, and she jumped away, mere moments before the technique hit the ground. The earth shook under the force of the hellish barrage, and Naruto and Hinata were hit by the shockwave and thrown onto the ground. The heat washed over them like an overly thick blanket, uncomfortably warm and taking their breath away.

Through a half-opened eye Naruto could just see that the flames rose up high, higher than normal flames, and formed a rough circle around where they were lying.

_Another technique? I've never seen this before, not even from Sasuke..._

The fire now raged everywhere around them, only a few feet away, but it did not approach; instead, the flames, undoubtedly controlled and morphed by chakra, bent closer and closer together at the top, and eventually touched each other directly above the pair of ninja, forming a dome of fire that was completely impenetrable. As they merged, they suddenly increased in power and heat, forcing Naruto and Hinata to huddle closer together, their muscles tense, their lungs filled with hot air and their eyes closed against the blinding light that spanned their tiny horizon.

_Neji, now we can't help you at all,_ Naruto thought miserably. _Hang in there... we'll get to you as soon as we can!_

An age seemed to have passed when the technique around them finally weakened, at least to the extent that they could breathe normally again.  
Naruto carefully opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was Hinata, who was lying directly next to him, her face just a few inches from his, her eyes closed tightly. His arm was still on her shoulders. Naruto suddenly felt his heart go crazy in his chest, and in spite of the danger around them, the awkward position, and anything he told himself was ridiculous, he couldn't get himself to move. He just wanted to lie there, admiring her delicate face, her small nose and her dark hair, and, though a voice in the back of his head told him he was crazy, he slowly moved his face closer to hers...

She opened her eyes, saw how close he was, and almost, almost started to smile. But then her eyes widened in shock, all colour vanished from her face, and her expression changed completely, turning into one of pure and utter fear. She tried to speak, but though her mouth moved she couldn't produce a single sound, stunned as she was by an unknown terror.

Then Naruto realised what had her so frightened. But he realised too late.

The invisible sword penetrated his arm with immense force, cutting through its flesh and muscles and nailing it firmly to the ground. Naruto screamed. And he kept screaming, unable to do anything else in a world that consisted only of pain, a pain worse than anything he had felt before, a pain so intense it left no room for thoughts of any kind. The smell of scorched flesh filled his nostrils, and he could feel his consciousness slipping away, could feel it dwindle and dissolve in that all-consuming pain. The world faded away.

Hinata was in shock. Her mind was unable to grasp what had just happened. She couldn't stand up, couldn't move at all. She stared at Naruto's unconscious face as if in a trance.

_N-naruto... k-kun...? Are you... sleeping?_ _Was this all a bad dream again, and did I just wake up next to you? Just like before? Then I can put my hand on your hair... and in a minute you'll wake up, and I can tell you about the crazy dream I had... please, please let me wake up now!_

But no matter how hard she wished, the images refused to disappear. In fact, as the initial shock started to wear off and the numbness made place for insurmountable terror, her mind started buzzing with all the little details she tried not to notice. The odd position of Naruto's arm. The earth below it, that was gradually turning red.

The shape looming over them, wearing a grin, observing her curiously.

Hinata's heart grew cold with fear.

_No! Keep away from me! Please go away!_

Ingou dispelled the fire technique with a simple gesture, then kneeled down, slowly reached out and grabbed something just above Naruto's arm. He moved his hand upwards, pulling the invisible sword out of the pierced biceps, and put it back in its sheathe. Then he turned his attention to Hinata. The malicious, half-grey eyes stared into the frightened white ones.

"You look shocked, girl. You didn't like what I did to your friend?"

He sighed.

"So naive, all of you. You Konoha ninja, who grew up in peace and safety. You think being a ninja is about helping people? About working hard and becoming stronger? About bringing peace, perhaps?"

He reached back, grabbed a kunai knife, then showed it to Hinata.

"It is about none of those things. Being a ninja is about fighting, and killing. Or being killed. That other Hyuuga already found that out, and now it's this guy's turn."

He moved the kunai to Naruto's throat. Hinata gasped.

"D-don't!"

Ingou raised his eyebrows.

"No? Shouldn't I? Should I perhaps spare him, because you care about him? Is that it? Would you ask me to kill you instead of him?"

Hinata couldn't speak. Tears were rolling down her face, and her throat was clogged up with fear. But she nodded, nodded desperately, even though she knew it wouldn't matter anymore. And indeed, Ingou sighed again.

"That is nice. That is... noble of you. But you know..."

His expression hardened.

"You knew what you were getting into. I defeated you, and now it is my right to kill you. If you're too weak and scared to stop me, then you should never have chosen to walk the path of the shinobi. Because that always ends the same. It ends here."

He pressed the kunai closer against Naruto's skin. A drop of blood welled up. And in Hinata's mind, something snapped.

"Juuken!" she yelled, and in a flash she slammed her palm into Ingou's chest, catching him completely off guard. He cursed, pushed her arm away, and slapped her in the face with the back of his hand.

"You bitch!"

She fell to the ground, her cheek red, her face covered in tears. Ingou stood up, but then groaned, staggered, and sank back on one knee, damaged internally by the force of Hinata's chakra. He grabbed his sword again.

"You'll pay for that! No more delays!"

He swung the sword down, towards Hinata's helpless shape. She didn't even try to avoid or deflect it.

_I have failed... I still can't protect anyone... even though I tried so hard, for so long... I'm still useless... I can't help the ones I love. I deserve to die..._

She closed her eyes and waited for the strike that would end it all.

It never came.

Seconds went by.

She opened her eyes. In front of her, like an intervention by some higher power, sat Neji. He was worn-out and scratched in several places, but not seriously injured. The invisible blade he had caught between his palms, a move so dangerous and reckless that it was generally considered suicide; if the sword had been brought down with more force, it would have cracked his skull.

Ingou hissed between his teeth.

"You! I thought I'd taken care of you?"

Neji stared at him coldly.

"I have taken a vow never to be beaten in battle again. I am not going to break that vow here, fighting a brat like you!"

He pushed the sword aside, then brought his foot around in a lightning-fast arc that ended in a cracking noise as he hit Ingou full in the face, blasting him away from Naruto and Hinata. Ingou stabilised and landed on his hands, but Neji kicked him in his back, smacking the air out of his lungs and sending him into a painful slide over the hard ground. Ingou seemed to realise he had lost control of the battle, because he quickly brought his hands together.

"Fire Release, Poisonous Ash Cloud!"

He breathed in deeply, then exuded a huge cloud of thick smoke, which hid him from view completely. Neji had no choice but to stop the pursuit; breathing in any of that smoke would mean the end. He gazed at the cloud for a moment, then turned around and ran back to the others.

Hinata sat next to Naruto, her face still wet with tears she hadn't bothered to wipe away. Her hand lay on his hair.

"Naruto-kun..."

Neji kneeled down as well, saw how badly Naruto's arm was ravaged, and made a decision. He fished a scroll from his pouch, opened it, and spread it out next to Naruto. Hinata looked up, a spark of hope in her eyes.

"W-what are you..."

"It's a healing scroll," Neji explained quickly while he wrote something down in the centre of the scroll, the only part that was not covered in writings and symbols.

"Tsunade-sama is the only one who can make them. It basically contains a part of her chakra, and when released it can heal almost any wound. It works just like the seal she carries on her forehead."

"Just like that seal?" Hinata stammered. "But then... for her..."

Neji nodded.

"Yes, in making these scrolls she shortens her own lifespan. We were allowed to bring one because we don't have a healer on our team, and it is only meant for emergencies."

He finished writing, then rolled up Naruto's sleeve, making the horrible injury visible.

"If we don't treat this Naruto will lose his arm, perhaps even die. I call that en emergency."

He brought his hands together in a focus seal.

"Ninja Art, Scroll of Healing!"

Purple threads spread out from the ink on the scroll, wriggled, then lifted themselves off the paper like snakes out of a basket. They seemed to orientate themselves for a moment before suddenly lunging and wrapping themselves around Naruto's arm, forming strange figures around the wounded area. When they were all in place, they lit up brightly, and Hinata could feel the chakra they emitted, a warm, good type of chakra. And just like that, where at first a gaping hole had sat, was now normal skin, still covered in dried-up blood but undamaged.

Naruto's eyelids fluttered briefly, and then he was conscious again. He sat up straight, a bit confused, but before he could ask anything Hinata suddenly hugged him, so tightly that it almost hurt.

"Naruto-kun!" she sniffed, her head on his shoulder, tears of relief running down her face.

"Naruto-kun..."

"Hinata?" he asked dazedly. "What... what's going on?"

Neji rolled up the now empty scroll and put it back in his pouch.

"Hinata-sama, we don't have time for this. Our enemy can strike again any moment. If we don't work as a team from here on out, we won't make it."

Hinata hesitatingly let go of Naruto, sniffed and wiped the tears off her face. Naruto looked at her, then nodded.

"We'll get that guy," he said softly. "I promise we will."

"So you say," interrupted Neji, "but so far we have hardly done any damage to him. Fortunately, I have learned some interesting things while I fought him right after you two were blasted away."

"What kind of things?" urged Naruto. "It took a few minutes before he got to us... you were fighting him all that time?"

"Yes. He lured me away from you first, but since I was fighting him I thought you would be safe. Clearly, I was wrong. But as I said, I didn't fight him in vain. I'll briefly tell you what I've noticed."

He grabbed the empty scroll again, and used it to take notes while he was informing the others, who both listened intently now; Naruto with a determined look on his face and Hinata with a relieved one, though her eyes were still red with crying.

"First of all, it is not just that sword that's invisible. He has thrown invisible kunai at me as well – even with my Byakugan, I could not see them coming, and I've been scratched several times. However – and this is important – once these kunai had passed me and struck trees or the ground, they became visible again."

Naruto frowned.

"Then they're not completely the same. That sword is always invisible."

"Indeed. I suspect the sword is special, as it is his main weapon, but he can make other objects invisible as well, and even himself. That's how he got managed to keep me occupied."

"Himself?"

Naruto was astonished.

_What kind of guy are we dealing with here? How can you fight someone if you can't see him?_

"Yes. He turned invisible, created a clone which was also invisible, then let the clone fight me while he went after you two. I only figured it out just in time..."

Hinata hesitated.

"B-but... with the Byakugan..."

"That is what I thought at first as well. But I was wrong."

Neji seemed annoyed at being reminded about the failure of his own technique.

"Somehow, he has found a way to cloak his chakra. Perhaps he suppresses up to the point where it is no longer visible. I don't know. The result is that even the Byakugan can't see him. It's a perfect way to hide."

He lowered his voice.

"Imagine the possibilities of such a technique. As far as we know, he could be sitting next to us right now."

A cold breeze blew past them. Hinata shivered, and Naruto suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He could imagine very well what such a technique meant. It meant their opponent was the perfect spy. How long had he been following them already? Had he sat around the fire with them, enjoying their obliviousness with that amused grin of his? Had he eavesdropped on all their conversations? No wonder Neji had not seen anyone when he had looked around with his Byakugan.

_What an insane ability._

Neji seemed to have read his thoughts.

"Don't worry too much about it. Such powerful techniques do not come cheaply. I am sure that it requires a large amount of chakra for him to remain invisible. That explains why he doesn't use it constantly."

He made some more notes, and added all sorts of arrows and cross-references to indicate intricate connections between them.

"There is one more thing," he said eventually.

He held up his right hand for the others to see. Hinata gasped. The palm of the hand was covered in burn marks, not very severe ones but great in number.

"This is what happened one of the few times I managed to hit him. There was some sort of barrier around him which was extremely hot, and prevented me from doing any damage with the Juuken."

Naruto growled in frustration.

"This is insane! How many powerful techniques does that bastard have?"

Neji ignored him; he was staring at his own palm, deep in thought. Naruto turned his rant to Hinata instead.

"So what we have is an invisible guy with invisible weapons and powerful fire techniques, who is pretty much resistant against every attack a Hyuuga could make?"

Hinata looked away unhappily. Naruto was right. No wonder Ingou had no trouble taking them on in a three to one fight. He outmatched them on every level.

_Maybe it would be best if we just tried to run away. There is no honour in that, but at least we will all survive._

Naruto angrily punched the ground with his fist.

"To think that even now, we can't beat someone like that... I haven't even had a chance to use my own techniques yet. He's just too fast! How can we get to him? Do we even have a chance?"

"Yes," said Neji.

They looked at him in surprise. He finished writing on the scroll, then read it over once more and handed it to them with something of a satisfied expression.

"I think I just found the opening we need."

***

Ingou sped through the forest, jumping from tree to tree to move as quickly as possible. The fighting and the use of his special techniques had drained much of his energy, too much, and now he relied on the energy boost of a soldier pill to keep him going. He had to finish the fight before its effects were over, or he'd be done for.

_This fight has been drawn out way too long. I should have fought to kill from the start instead of messing around. But I hadn't thought they would be this persistent. Especially that Hyuuga guy, he's the strongest by far. But from here on out it should be easy. One is down, and that girl is as good as worthless in combat. I'll finish them quickly._

He had not retreated far into the woods, just far enough to check on his own injuries and consume that soldier pill. It didn't take him long to get back. When he approached the site of their battle he stopped, hesitated, then decided to put safety first. He closed his eyes in concentration.

"Secret Technique, Chameleon Skin," he said softly.

He felt his chakra form a haze on his body and clothes, covering him on all sides and bending the light around him.

_Perfect invisibility, _he mused. _If only it didn't consume such a huge amount of chakra, I would stay like this forever. Nobody would bother me, and I could get away with anything. Ah, but those are dreams of the past. I have work to do._

He jumped down to the ground, ran a short way, and saw his opponents. As he had expected, they had not dared to move their friend in the condition he was in. It seemed the boy had not regained consciousness yet.

_And he never will, if it's up to me. That's what you get for calling me a bastard._

Next to him sat the girl, who was trying to treat the wound, even though it was obviously a lost cause. The other Hyuuga, the squad leader, stood closest to Ingou but was watching the other two, leaving himself wide open for an attack from behind.

_Perfect. This is going to be even easier than I expected._

He grabbed a kunai, then calmly walked up to Neji, and with unmatched timing twisted Neji's arm behind his back while pressing the knife against his throat at the same time.

"Boo," he said softly.

Neji cursed, but couldn't pull himself free. Hinata looked up, and was about to make a move when Ingou twisted Neji's arm a bit further, causing him to gasp with pain.

"Don't even think about it. One wrong movement and I kill this guy right now."

Hinata sank back on the ground, but Ingou saw there was something strange about her.

_She's not scared like before,_ he realised. _There's something else now... anger? Calculation? Why?_

Neji let out something of a humourless laugh.

"This is... ironic," he said with some difficulty. "Just when we... had you figured out."

Ingou snickered incredulously.

"Really? I doubt that. Nobody I fought has ever 'figured me out'. But hey, enlighten me. The longer you talk, the longer you live."

"It's _light_," Neji said softly. "It's all light. All of it."

Ingou was taken aback.

"Well, I'll be damned. You really are something different. Explain what you mean, and do it quickly. My hand starts trembling if I get tired."

Neji swallowed.

"When you first attacked, you used a flash of light to blind us. But you never used that since then, so that technique must take a while to charge. Am I right?"

"Go on."

He continued, speaking faster and more clearly now.

"The invisibility... it's light being bent around objects. It's the only true form of invisibility. The sword must be so infused with your chakra it remains invisible on its own. I once knew a guy who had sand infused with his own chakra – it's the same idea. Then... your defence, the barrier. It's light being changed into heat and energy to protect you from the Juuken."

Ingou listened intently. He had never expected his moves to be analysed and understood so quickly. A valuable lesson for the future, of course. But right now, it made no difference any more. The fight was over.

"I'm impressed. That is a very accurate-"

"I'm not done yet," continued Neji. "What you do with light, it is your Bloodline Limit, isn't it? You take light, and you manipulate it to fit your own needs. Shape manipulation allows for invisibility, nature manipulation can create brighter or hotter light. But there's a weakness."

Ingou's eyes widened.

"What did you say?"

"That weakness is that you cannot use both types of manipulation at the same time. When looking back on your fighting style, I noticed that you blocked my first hit with your barrier, but didn't use it when I hit you a second time. That was right before you turned invisible. Also, you threw invisible kunai at first, but around the time you used that barrier you threw normal ones. So you cannot use both at the same time, and there is a short interval between you switching from one type of manipulation to the other. Am I right?"

What followed was silence. When Ingou finally responded his voice was filled with malice.

"Fine. Great. You figured it all out. You read me like a goddamned book, are you happy now? But let me tell you one final thing. Something even you apparently failed to notice."

He pressed the kunai closer to Neji's throat again, and lowered his voice to a whisper.

"It's all useless. Because there's not a damn thing you can do with that information right now. Anything you have to say to that? Any... last words?"

"Only... only this."

"What?"

Neji grinned.

"You really are... a bastard..."

And then he exploded in a cloud of smoke, which took Ingou completely by surprise.

"What the hell?" He couldn't see anything around him anymore, but he knew with perfect clarity that things looked really bad.

_I have to get out... I'm still invisible, I have to run and rethink this!_

But suddenly Hinata blasted through the smoke, her eyes blazing with pent-up determination and her hand aimed directly at his chest. There was no time to avoid or deflect.

"Juuken!"

Ingou growled as he felt the familiar pain in his chest, but that was not the worst; Hinata's chakra had disturbed his own, and the haze that covered him was unbalanced and cancelled.

"No!"

He panicked, turned around and ran, but before he had taken five steps the real Neji landed in front of him, in a stance that Ingou recognised well. He knew what it meant for him, and stopped running.

"You can't use your barrier yet," stated Neji calmly. "This fight is over."

Ingou sighed, nodded helplessly, and spat on the ground.

"Bring it on then, fucker."

Neji's eyes narrowed.

"Sixty-four Points of Divinity! Two points!"

He stepped towards Ingou elegantly and connected with both his index fingers. Where they touched – in his left shoulder and his right side – Ingou felt a stabbing pain, that seemed to hit deep beneath the skin. He tried in vain to fight it off.

Neji spun around.

"Four points!"

A double hit, four knives that were twisted around in Ingou's skin.

"Eight points! Sixteen points! Thirty-two points!"

A flurry of strikes, every single one causing a red hot pain. Ingou staggered backwards under the force of the strikes, his eyes closed, his teeth clenched, desperately waiting for it to end.

"Sixty-four strikes!"

A wave of pain flushed over him, spreading out through every vein in his body, putting his bones and muscles on fire and only getting worse and worse. He wanted it to be over – shouldn't it be over by now? – but the pain only increased, and kept increasing until it became too much to bear, and then he passed out and fell backwards on the forest floor, powerless and utterly defeated.

The Konoha shinobi gathered around him. Naruto stared at him sourly.

"Why couldn't I just use Rasengan on him? I wanted to help, you know, but now you two got all the fun."

Neji shrugged.

"I thought you did an excellent job playing the role of unconscious, wounded ninja."

Hinata smiled. Immense relief filled her heart, and everything suddenly seemed twice as funny as before.

"Ah, and we c-couldn't have done it without your clone, Naruto-kun... You distracted him very well..."

Naruto grinned.

"Yeah, I know, right? I think I was a really good Neji, to be honest."

He looked around. The sun was still shining brightly, and the birds were singing as if nothing had happened. There were still some hours left in the day. If they travelled quickly they could make up for the lost time with ease. They _could_ do that. Technically.

He looked at Neji.

"So...?"

Neji looked from Naruto to Hinata and back, then gave in.

"We'll tie him up, then make camp here. I think we could all use some rest right now."

"Alright!" cheered Naruto.

Hinata nodded happily. She just wanted to put this day behind her as soon as possible. All the emotions – the fear, the anger, the helplessness – had drained her completely. She didn't feel dizzy or sick, but she was a bit light-headed, and very tired. She wanted to sleep, to lie next to Naruto again, this time in safety and peace.

It didn't take long to set up the tent, and even though the afternoon was only just over Hinata wolfed down her meal, wished the others goodnight and stretched out on her hard sleeping mat. When she closed her eyes, images of that day started flashing by, some of them terrible to watch, but eventually the one image that stuck in her mind was that of Naruto, smiling, slowly moving his face closer to her.

She sleepily smiled to herself. Who knew what the next day would bring?

Outside, Neji and Naruto watched the sun slowly descend. They didn't talk much, even though they had a thousand questions on their mind. Naruto kept thinking about Hinata. She had not pulled away from him earlier. Did that mean anything or had she just been too confused to realise what was going on? How could he find out?

_Just ask her, you idiot! It's that easy! All you have to do is go up to her and... ask her. Ask her what? How do you go about such a thing?_

He glimpsed at Neji. The Hyuuga was of course a year older, so he might have some more experience in dealing with girls.

_Maybe he can help me... but he's still Hinata's cousin. I'll have to be very subtle about this._

"Ah, um, Neji!"

Neji turned his head and looked at him quizzically.

"Yes?"

"Um, Hinata did really well today, don't you think?" Naruto asked lamely.

Neji's gaze suddenly became very cold, and he narrowed his eyes.

"Is there any specific reason you ask this, Naruto?"

"D-don't stare at me like that... no, I was just... um... actually, never mind, okay?"

"Good."

Neji stood up and entered the tent without giving Naruto a second glance.

_What was that all about? _Naruto wondered. _Oh well. Probably just one of his weird streaks. _

He waited for a few minutes, then went in as well. He took of his vest, carefully put himself down in between the Hyuugas and buried himself deep in his sleeping bag. He looked sideways at Hinata, who was already slumbering peacefully. Her hand peeked out from below her blanket. Naruto hesitated, then reached out, very gently stroked her soft skin, and put her hand in his own.

_Hinata. You have suddenly become... a very special person to me. So please, please acknowledge me. Just one more time. I need you._


	7. Chapter 6

_Chapter Six_

At the old desk in the small, windowless, wood-panelled chamber, a young man was working by the light of about a dozen candles. He was calmly scribbling large amounts of text on an empty scroll, in a clean, curvy handwriting that betrayed a good education. His fairly short, ash blonde hair was neatly combed and his pale blue eyes stared at the paper with a relaxed look. His face gave the impression that he spent too much time reading books, but he also possessed the confident and self-aware air of those who know they're doing what they are good at and have nobody to fear.

He did not seem to be in any hurry to finish his work. Every now and then he would stop writing and let his gaze wander idly through the room, as if checking whether something interesting had happened yet. Sometimes, though not as often, he would also turn around to check on his shadows on the wall, which were vague and smeared out without the light of the hearth-fire to pale that of the candles. When nothing happened to them, the man would vaguely smile to himself and return to his work.

For a long time, the scribbling of pencil on paper was the only sound to be heard.

Then, a hushed voice called:

"_Rousoku-sama?"_

The young man looked over his shoulder and stared at the newly formed shadow.

"Hi," he said in a calm, almost mellow voice.

"_Modosu?_" responded the shadow in surprise. "_What are you doing here? I must speak to Rousoku-sama. Tell him it's urgent."_

Modosu put his pencil away, turned around and kneeled down on a dusty, threadbare mat which, while looking completely out of place in the office-like room, was at least slightly more comfortable than the hard floor.

"I'm afraid Rousoku-sama is not in at the moment. He's praying in the Temple, and he may not be disturbed. Can I take a message?"

"_No," _the shadow replied immediately. "_Forget it. I will contact you again later-"_

"This is about Ingou, right?"

The shadow fell silent, and Modosu knew he was right. Of course, he had already been fairly certain before. That was why he had been waiting here, after all.

"_I shouldn't be surprised, I suppose," _continued the shadow eventually. "_There seems to be little that you don't know of."_

Modosu shrugged the comment off. He knew it wasn't meant as a compliment.

"I simply happened to be there when the boy was sent out. He was chosen by Rousoku-sama personally, you know."

"_You knew about this and yet you didn't even try to stop it. Sometimes I wonder if we're even on the same side."_

"I don't see why you are so upset. It was just a kid, surely he couldn't have gotten in your way?"

"_He nearly managed to kill them, nearly ruined everything! Rousoku-sama himself told me that the rest of the plan would be my responsibility, so why does he insist on sending his own minions to make a mess of things?"_

"He's an impatient man. The lack of any action on your part may have caused him to think you wouldn't get the job done yourself."

"_Lack of action?" _

Modosu could almost feel the eyes of the shadow widen in disbelief.

"_Haven't I already led them all the way here? Of course I haven't struck yet, what would be the point at this stage? The closer I lure them to you, the less effort it will take when the time is right."_

"I know, I know. And I agree with you," Modosu said in a placating voice. "But my advice often falls on deaf ears with Rousoku-sama, even though I'm the only one he dares to trust. His fear of failure and the risks involved in this plan have made him even more paranoid and stubborn than before, and combined with the power his position grants him, that makes him..."

"_A liability!"_

_"_And to his own plans, no less. But he won't see the truth in those words, and I cannot change that; my job is to serve and advise him, no more."

He spread his arms out in a typical 'so be it' gesture.

"But what does it matter anymore? The boy was defeated, and soon it will be your turn. Once they are safely within our grasp our success is almost guaranteed."

"_Yes. Tell Rousoku-sama I will bring them in tomorrow night."_

Modosu smiled gently, knowing very well that his facial expression would not be visible on the other side.

"He'll be pleased to hear it. So, is that all? I'm really rather busy."

"_I'm sure you are. I'll be in touch."_

And with those words, the shadow split back up into the vague, fractured shape it had been before, leaving Modosu alone with his piles of scrolls.

He reflected on the conversation for a moment, as if playing it back in his head. Then he smiled a very satisfied smile.

"A liability...? The ignorance of some people..."

He glanced at the amount of work left for him to do, then shrugged. There would be little time for normal paperwork the next few days. Maybe never again, if things turned out badly. He absent-mindedly rubbed his knuckles.

"For the people," he spoke softly to himself. "For the clan."

Then he nodded, extinguished all but one candle, quickly left the room and locked the door behind him.

***

Hinata woke up with a start, her eyes wide open, her body immediately ready to strike, deflect or make a run for it, whichever the situation required. As her eyes became accustomed to the dark, she could make out Naruto´s curled up shape next to her. At her feet, near the entrance, sat Neji, who touched his lips with one finger, then gestured at the opening of the tent.

Hinata, relieved, nodded sleepily, wondering what Neji could possibly want to talk about at this hour. She put on her socks and sandals, then followed him into the cold, damp darkness of the night. One of the things she noticed directly was that the weather had changed; the sky was now cloudy, and the bright moon was only sporadically visible between the huge moving shapes high up in the air. Another thing was that Ingou, who had been lying tied up just outside their tent, was gone. The ropes that had held him captive were tossed aside carelessly. Hinata shot Neji a shocked glance, but he beckoned for her to follow him and walked off into the woods.

They walked in silence for a minute or two, and Hinata could already feel the initial rush of waking up wear off. Her limbs felt as though they were made of lead, and yet she felt as if she was floating rather than walking. She wondered vaguely whether it was just lack of sleep or something else that made the trees wobble slightly and moved the moon around like that. She had barely slept at all, too busy trying to suppress the violent coughing that had been pestering her all night, and had only just fallen asleep when Neji had woke her up. Maybe she ought to tell him she really wanted to sleep. But he wouldn´t have brought her out here if he didn´t have something important to say, would he?

She nearly bumped into him as he suddenly stood still and turned around. He observed her carefully, and a guilty expression flickered over his face.

"Hinata-sama," he said softly, "you don't look good. If I had known this I wouldn't have brought you out here in the cold."

He paused.

"Well, now you're here anyway we might as well get this over with quickly."

"Y-yes," she stammered. "What happened to... that Bloodline Limit user?"

Neji looked surprised.

"Oh, him? He escaped. Mere ropes can't hold a shinobi, you know that as well as I do."

"Then why-"

"Because the alternatives were a lot less appealing. We could either have brought him along on our mission or killed him on the spot, both of which were inconvenient, to say the least. Besides, since he was hit with the full Sixty-Four Strikes he won't be able to fight at full strength again for at least a week, and by then we should be back in Konoha."

He made an impatient gesture.

"But this is not what I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to talk about you."

"M-me?"

"You and Naruto."

Hinata blushed. 

_Me and Naruto? What does he mean? _

"I'm not sure what there could be to say..."

"Don't pretend you don't know. You have feelings for him, everyone can see that."

He folded his arms, waited to see what she had to say.

A faint smile crossed Hinata´s face. She felt a bit embarrassed to talk this over with Neji, but she also felt proud, proud to admit how she felt.

"Yes… for a very long time, I have… I have watched him, wanted to be with him… and now that he's returned, I found out that… that I really l-"

"But that ends here!" Neji interrupted fiercely.

Hinata looked up in shock. "W-what?"

"Your endless stuttering, your blushing, your fainting, it has to end! You have to let go of this childish crush!"

Hinata had to lean against a tree to prevent herself from falling as a wave of light-headedness washed over her, destabilising her further in a world that had already been turned upside-down.

"Let go? I don't... understand..." she stammered, but her display of weakness only seemed to agitate Neji further.

"You and Naruto can never be together! Any feelings you have for him, that you _think_ you have for him, are doomed from the start, and if you keep chasing this petty dream, this fairytale, then you'll end up broken and alone before you have a chance to see the danger!"

"But why?" she cried out desperately. "What's so wrong about it? Why can't we be-"

"Hinata-sama, you are the heiress of Konoha's oldest and most influential clan. Naruto Uzumaki is a nobody when it comes to status. Your father would never allow you to be together."

"My... my father?"

Suddenly it dawned on her, so obvious and clear she couldn't believe she had not seen it immediately.

"Did he... order you to tell me this?"

Neji was taken aback for one moment, but rallied easily.

"Only to warn you that you have to take a different path in life. Hiashi-sama is not a cruel man, but he is set in his ways and values tradition and honour more than anything. And I can see he is right in this case. The way you act around Naruto is a complete embarrassment. You grovel at his feet! You would do anything for him, if only he asked! Such _submissive_ behaviour is totally unacceptable for someone in your position!"

Hinata stared at the ground, not knowing what to do or what to say now that just when she thought she finally had a chance with Naruto, another obstacle came up in the shape of her father. Was that what she had been struggling for all those years? To just have her dreams smashed again? She felt the panic mounting as she realised the implications of what Neji said. If her father didn't want her to be with Naruto, then she wouldn't be – his power in the Hyuuga clan was absolute. The idea was ridiculous, impossible to imagine, but one look in Neji's serious eyes was enough to convince her – this would be her last mission with Naruto, ever!

"Honour..." she whispered, in a futile attempt to understand what was going on. "This is all about honour?"

Neji shook his head impatiently.

"That is only half of the problem. The other half lies within yourself."

He brought his face closer to Hinata's and stared relentlessly into her eyes. She unconsciously tried to back away, afraid of what he would say.

"You are weak, Hinata-sama. You have always been weak, and you will always remain weak if you don't change. That is the biggest problem... but I guess it has always been, for you."

Fear took hold of her heart, and a cold feeling spread out from there throughout her body.

"Weak? But... I have worked so hard! For so long, I... I have worked to improve, to prove myself..."

"And still," Neji interrupted mercilessly, "you are weak. You never trained for yourself, you only trained for Naruto, and by relying on him so much you have neglected to become strong yourself."

Hinata winced as if he was hitting her. 

_That's not true, that's unfair! My life, my whole life I tried to get stronger, and I really have! I have changed, so there has to be a way... this can't be really happening!_

"Y-you are wro-"

"Don't argue! There is no point. This is your father's decision, not mine. He sees the negative influence Naruto has on you, sees you are still too weak to become the leader of the clan one day. And he is determined to change this pathetic situation."

He stared impassively at her scared and confused face, and sighed.

"Just accept the facts, Hinata-sama. Your weakness has determined this outcome for you. I'll only say this once more. Forget about Naruto. The dream is over, and it's time to wake up. From here on out, you will stay as distant from Naruto as circumstances allow, and eventually your father will find someone who is better suited for you. That is your future, and you cannot change that."

He looked up at the sky.

"The weather is turning bad, so let's get this over with. Are you going to accept this proposal or are you going to make a fuss? The outcome will be the same. Your father's word is law."

A cold wind started to whistle through the trees. Dark clouds passed overhead and hid the pure white moon from sight, and a soft drizzle began to fall, hardly obstructed in its downward journey by the far-apart trees. The small drops settled on Hinata's dark hair and light skin, forming droplets that ran from her forehead down her nose and dripped on the ground, where they were soaked up by the dry earth.

She didn't reply. She was frantically trying to work the crazy situation out in her mind, but she couldn't find a way out, couldn't find a solution. It was all happening so fast, she didn't have time to organise her thoughts. Neji's words and the casual tone with which he ripped her future apart were like red hot pokers, feeding emotions she had rarely ever felt before, and she felt the pressure rising on the inside.

"Well?"

Almost unconsciously, she clenched a fist.

"So what..." she said softly, almost without producing any sound at all.

Neji raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry?"

"So what?!" Hinata yelled suddenly, causing Neji to stumble backwards in surprise. Her face was wet with the rain and tears, and her expression was distorted by her outburst of cropped-up frustration and misery.

"So what if my father doesn't like it? I don't care anymore! I'm old enough to know what I want! And I want Naruto! That's all I want, all I ever wanted! How is that too much asked? Why can't I just be with him?"

Neji held his hands up in a supposedly calming gesture.

"Hinata-sama, you are the heiress-"

"I know who I am!" she screamed. "I am Hinata Hyuuga, and I have the right to live my own life the way I want to, just like anyone else!"

"Is that so? You really think you're living your own life?"

Neji raised his voice as well.

"Just look at you! Look at what being near him for two days did to you! You are no longer yourself!"

"I am more myself than I was ever before! And if father doesn't like me the way I am, then... then... I'll leave this rotten clan, and he can find himself another stupid heiress!"

In a sudden and completely unexpected movement, Neji's hand shot out and grabbed Hinata's chin, then forcibly pulled her face close to his own.

"Enough!" he hissed through his teeth, and Hinata was immediately silenced, realising she had crossed an invisible border. As she was forced to look into Neji's cold, angry eyes, she was suddenly afraid of him in a way she had never been before.

"Enough," he repeated, while trying to get his breathing under control. "You will stop acting like a child now. Don't you ever think before you speak? Leaving the clan, what idiocy is that?"

She tried to wriggle loose, but he held on tightly.

"Look at me. _Look at me!_"

She did. In his eyes she saw determination, but also regret for his sudden outburst, and once he had her attention he slowly let go of her and lowered his voice.

"Nobody ever leaves the clan, at least not for long. The secret of the Byakugan must always be safeguarded, and the elders won't hesitate to order your death if you run away."

She couldn't look away, was forced to face him, but she felt the net of her life close around her, slowly cutting off all escapes until there was only one option left. She made a decision.

"If that´s how it is..." she said with a shaky voice. "If I have to choose between death or a life without Naruto... then my choice is already made..."

Neji huffed, unimpressed.

"Don't be so selfish. This isn't just about you. Do you think your friends will stand by idly? Do you think Naruto will? They will try to protect you, they will fight the clan if necessary. No matter who wins, many will die. Because of you."

He sighed.

"Are you still unable to see there's no way out of this? Don't you see every argument you could possibly make has already been anticipated and countered? It's pointless to struggle."

Hinata looked at him incredulously. She started to realise that she had lost the battle long before she had known she was fighting at all, and now it was too late to change anything. No matter how much she had told herself she had grown, she was still just a pawn, being used by others and not allowed to do anything significant herself, and with this realisation came a new wave of pain and sorrow, but this time there was no way to avoid it, no good feeling to fend it off. She gasped and clutched her chest as the pain shot through her heart.

_Why, why me, why now? I thought I could change myself... I thought I could be with him if I worked hard enough... but... _

She sank on her knees, on the wet moss, and her fingers cramped as she uttered a sob that spawned from the very depths of her soul. 

_But it was never meant to be! _

Another sob, and she could not hold back the tears which started flowing down over her cheeks again, mixing with the increasingly heavy rain that was now beating down on them.

Neji looked down upon her, his arms folded, his gaze expressing both disdain and pity.

"Just look at you," he said in a contemptuous tone. "You're even weaker than you were three years ago. What a waste."

Hinata couldn't bear it, couldn't take any more of his words. She turned around and ran away, not looking back even once, even though she heard him call after her. She splashed through newly-formed puddles, cut her hands on wet tree branches, tripped over roots, but she kept going because all she knew how to do was run, run in the same way she had ran away from her problems when she had been little, before Naruto had given her hope. She ran until she could go no more, until dizziness and fatigue and the cold caught up with her and she fell full length on the ground, panting and sweating. The rain kept falling mercilessly, soaking her clothes and cooling down her skin, but it was nothing compared to the gruesome storm inside of her. All the happiness, all the relief and all the hope had disappeared, had faded from her heart like colours fade from clothing, washed away by torrents of water or sadness and fear alike. Helplessness took their place, accompanied by a mounting feeling of despair that rapidly grew stronger as Hinata could feel everything she believed fall apart, everything she had worked for be erased by those horrible words, words containing horrible truths which were all different and yet all meant the same: her dreams would never come true.

She shivered, coughed and wheezed, then shivered again and couldn't stop it anymore. It was so cold around her, so cold...

_Naruto-kun, what would you do... what can I do without you...?_

Her vision blurred, reducing the vaguely lit trees around her to indistinguishable blobs.

_I don't want to live a life of loneliness... and I can't leave it all behind me... perhaps it would be best if it ended here..._

The cold numbed her, up to the point where she didn't even feel it anymore. The world around her grew darker, the murmur of the rain sounded unreal and far away, and then there was another sound. Footsteps?

_Naruto-kun...?_

Gently, ever so gently, the tip of the sword was rested on her throat, and a young but rough voice said, slowly and clearly:

"Get up. You're coming with me."


	8. Chapter 7

_Chapter Seven_

"Slight fever, chills, nasty cough... I'd say you've come down with the flu. That's just great, really. Just what we needed."

Hinata, who was sitting with her back against an old oak, said nothing, and eventually Ingou shrugged, turned around and started packing his belongings, meanwhile whistling a ghastly tune that sent shivers up Hinata's spine.

But then, she would probably shiver anyway. Her head ached, her throat was sore and the morning cold had permeated her completely, as if she had swallowed a cupful of ice cubes. On top of that it was still raining, and her clothes, which had more or less dried up while she had been lying in Ingou's waterproof sleeping bag, were soaked once more, chilling her even further and weighing her down. She wasn't _really_ sick yet – not like she had been in Konoha – but she knew that in these conditions it wouldn't take long before the heavy fever would set in and the barriers between dreams and reality would fade. She shook her head to dispel these negative thoughts, the main result of which was that the hammers inside her head suddenly pounded with twice the power. She closed her eyes in silent suffering. __

It's not looking too good for me. Without proper health care this could have some... very bad consequences. I really, really messed up this time. 

She half-opened her eyes, stared blearily at the towering trees. __

And yet... and yet...

And yet, while her muscles ached, while she broke into a coughing fit every few minutes, and while the world around her constantly drifted out of focus, she felt in many respects better than she had for a long, long time.

When Ingou had found her and taken her away the night before, she had been too weak to resist, too weak even to cry for help. __

Let him kill me then, she had thought, _let him solve my problems with a simple strike of his sword._ _Let it be over._

But he had not killed her, had not even harmed her, and in retrospect she felt ashamed for those thoughts, which were so symbolic for that weakness that, she now knew, really had been within her all along.

But no more.

As she had entered the longest night of her life, a thousand questions, doubts and fears had lunged at her from the darkness, had surrounded her, infiltrated her mind, and torn her up inside up to the point where the pain almost became physical, where all she could do was cry while wave after wave of anguish and sorrow washed over her. She had cried for hours on end, sometimes just letting the tears run softly, sometimes with wild, convulsive sobs, but always quietly, as she had always been quiet about the things that hurt her most. She had cried until she could no longer find the tears, and had tried to calm down, only to start all over again as the insatiable sea of sorrow continued to drown her with renewed energy. She had cried until the first rays of the sun lit up the horizon and the early birds woke up and started to fill the air with their carefree, unconcerned songs. And that was when she had learned the most important lesson of her life, something she had known before – something everyone knew - but that she had never _understood_ as she did now, namely that crying doesn't solve anything.

As the morning light had shone upon her wet, tear-stained face, she had realised that, in spite of all her crying, all her despair and all her self-pity, her situation had not improved in any conceivable way. She was still sick, she was still a captive, and she was further from reaching Naruto than she had ever been before. The only thing the tears had done for her was wear her out and take away what little energy she had left.

When this realisation had hit her, she hadn't moved for at least ten minutes, captured by the sudden calmness of silent contemplation. Then, very carefully, solemnly almost, she had brought her arm to her face and had slowly, gently wiped the tears away. __

Never again, she had thought. _Never again will I lose myself in tears, will I hide my responsibilities behind weakness, fear and doubt. Never again will I wait for others to solve my problems for me, while I wallow in self-pity. Never again will I let others destroy my dreams. My life is what I make of it, and I will have to struggle to get what I want, and never give up. Just like you, Naruto-kun. Like you, I will stand up for my own beliefs, because no one else is going to. Like you, I will defend my right to live a life of my own, to be acknowledged, to be loved. I will fight to make up for every useless tear I've shed, and I will make it through with the power that lies within myself, not within others. _

She had clenched one hand into a fist, while putting the other on her heart impulsively.

_ I have vowed this before, but that was before I knew what it really meant. Now I know where the other road leads, and I know I never want to go there. I won't fail again, won´t go back on my words. Because that is my nindo. My ninja way._

It was thus that Ingou had found her in the morning, physically exhausted but mentally renewed, refreshed, revived. If he noticed the change she had gone through overnight he didn´t show it, which was probably for the best.

_Let him think I am still that weakling,_ Hinata decided. _It will keep the element of surprise in my hands. I am in no condition to fight him or even run away, but I can observe him, gather as much information on our enemy as possible, and use it to my advantage when the time comes._

Meanwhile, Ingou had finished packing what few possessions he carried with him. He kneeled down in front of Hinata with a fairly neutral look on his face.

"Okay girl," he said calmly, "let me explain the situation to you. You are ill, and it will get a lot worse if you don't get proper treatment soon. The only place to get that out here in the wilderness is where I come from. Where I was sent out from. Over there." He pointed at the mountain range in the west. "Even at a normal walking pace, we should be able to reach it before sunset. So that's what we're going to do. If you, by dint of some sort of miracle, would manage to escape, you would die of hunger, thirst or illness before finding another human being. In other words, it's in your own best interest to calmly follow me and not to try anything stupid. You understand that?"

Hinata looked away, but he sighed, grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her to her feet. It took her a moment to steady herself, and she gritted her teeth as the thumping in her head increased to an almost unbearable level. Then Ingou snapped his fingers in front of her nose to get her attention, beckoned for her to follow and walked off in the direction of the huge, gloomy shapes on the horizon.

_He doesn't even care to keep an eye on me. He knows I have no choice but to follow._

She looked around to see if she could leave a sign for the others, to let them know where she was going, but since Ingou had taken all her kunai and other belongings she had nothing to make marks with. Besides, the odds of Neji and Naruto even finding such a mark in these huge, outstretched forests were miniscule to begin with.

_I'll just have to try to escape once I strengthen up. And in the meanwhile, learn what I can, like a proper shinobi._

She started trotting after Ingou, slowly and unsteadily, ignoring the pain that shot through her with every movement. It was going to be a long day.

As the hours passed and the sun, only occasionally visible between the heavy, rain-laden clouds, slowly climbed up towards the peak of its long journey, Hinata tried to observe Ingou to the best of her ability, in an attempt to learn what kind of person he really was.

One of the first things she noticed was how easily he adapted his travelling speed to hers. How different he was in that respect from people like Naruto or Rock Lee, for whom things never seemed to go fast enough and who would rather run back and forth constantly than fall in line with the slower-moving part of the group. Ingou seemed to be in no hurry to get anywhere.

_He moves as if he doesn't really care where he's going, as if he doesn't actually have anywhere to be. He walks without a purpose, almost, just wandering wherever the road leads and dealing with whatever comes up along the way. But that's not entirely true... he said he was 'sent out' from somewhere, after all. So this is definitely part of a mission, only... he doesn't seem to care much about it, himself._

Another thing that drew Hinata's attention was how the constant rainfall affected Ingou, or rather how it didn't. For even though he was just as soaked as she was, he didn't seem in any way bothered or hindered by the cold water. He didn't walk from cover to cover, as many people would do, and paid no heed to puddles in his way, even if the water came up to his ankles. This was not uncommon for water element users, but Ingou was orientated towards fire, which should almost make it worse for him.

_What else can explain such an indifference to water? Something in his genes?_

Hinata tried to remember anything she had ever heard about shinobi and water, mostly because it kept her mind off the nagging pain in her limbs. Eventually she recalled something Kurenai had told her once, about how families that had lived in the Village Hidden in the Mist for many generations seemed to develop a certain natural resistance to water overtime. __

Could that be it? Does he hail from the Land of Water? He's cruel enough for it... but It's impossible to find out just by looking at him.

She hesitated. If she wanted to find out more about her captor there was only one way, and that was by talking with him. But the last thing she wanted right now was have a nice conversation with the guy who nearly killed Naruto; the mere thought already filled her with an angry disgust.

_If it was up to me, I'd stay as far away from his as possible. But... this is not about what I want. I have to do what is best for my team, and for Konoha. That is how a shinobi acts._

She clung to those thoughts with all her might, gathered all her courage, and by the time Ingou indicated it was time for a pause and some food she was ready to face him. __

Here we go.

Ingou handed her a bowl of rice with hardly any other ingredients in it, but she thanked him most politely anyway, causing him to look up in mild surprise.

"So, you do have a tongue after all?"

She forced an unconvincing smile on her face.

"W-well... a mute shinobi would be a pretty odd sight, wouldn't it?"

Ingou shrugged uninterestedly and turned his attention back to his food.

_Not good enough. I have to keep trying._

"So... your name is Ingou, isn't it?" she asked lamely.

This time he looked annoyed rather than surprised.

"What the hell are you talking about? Can't you just eat in silence or something?"

"Ah, I'm just trying to get to know you a little. S-so, how old are you?" she added hastily as he was about to interrupt her. He closed his mouth again and observed her carefully for a while, perhaps trying to decide whether she had gone crazy or not.

"Fifteen," he eventually replied, and his voice had a certain edge to it that indicated this conversation would be over very soon. Hinata's mind raced, or rather tried to race but was constantly tripped up by her incessant weariness.

_I have to say something nice, to make him trust me._

"You're... you're about my age then," she eventually said. "In another time and place, we... might have been friends."

Ingou huffed.

"Yeah, right, I don't think so. Are you mocking me or something? Just hurry up and finish your damn food so we can get moving again."

He stood up abruptly and walked away, leaving a rather disappointed Hinata behind. __

I don't think subtle interrogation is my forte. Then again, he doesn't seem to be the easiest to talk to. I'll have to slowly win him over. It's not like there's anything else I can do right now, anyway...

But no matter how often she tried to start a conversation with him in the hours that followed, by asking about his childhood, his hometown, his favourite food, and even by remarking on the weather, he would say not more than 'hmm', 'shut up' or 'just keep walking', and when the sun started to set Hinata almost felt as useless as before, especially when she had to take a break every ten minutes because she was completely exhausted and her legs gave away below her. But the fire in her heart kept her going, and this time she didn't break down; instead, she asked herself what Naruto would do. __

He would keep trying, she knew immediately, _even if nothing seemed to work out, he would go on with that stubbornness of his. So I will do the same._

She glanced at Ingou again, who was moving just as calmly as he had right at the start.

_I may not be able to find out anything about him, but we should reach our destination soon, and I can see if I can learn anything once we get there._

Wherever 'there' was, anyway. They had already reached the foot of the mountain range, so if they wanted to travel any further they would have to climb. Surely their destination couldn't lie on the other side? It was already getting dark, and scaling those steep slopes at night while it was raining was nothing less than suicide, even if you weren't dizzy and tired on top of that.

Ingou must have noticed her troubled stare, because he laid a hand on her shoulder in what would have been a friendly gesture if he had not grinned evilly while doing it.

"Don't worry," he said in a tone that clearly implied something worrying was coming. "We're not going up. We're going down."

She looked at him with a hint of fear.

"Down? I don't see-"

"I'll show you. This way."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her along through the dense shrubbery, until they reached the cliff that was the start of the huge walls of rock that dominated the horizon. Ingou walked directly to a specific part of the huge rocks, even though they looked no different than the rest, and bit his thumb until it started bleeding. Then he formed a series of seals that Hinata immediately recognised and placed his blooded hand on the huge slab of stone.

"Summoning Technique, Lighted Path!"

Immediately, fire sprouted forth from his hand, spreading out over the stone and forming the shape of a gateway. The flame-covered part of the rock seemed to dissolve, or rather fade away, and a simple iron gate took its place. It was but a small gate, but it looked strangely tough and solid, and the extra chains with which it was reinforced clearly said that anyone who wished to enter had better be welcome.

Ingou fished a rather plain key from below his shirt, slid it in the keyhole and watched with satisfaction as the chains seemed to unchain themselves and fell on the ground in neat coils. Then the gate swung open by itself, revealing a dark tunnel that sloped slightly downwards.

"Ladies first," Ingou said with mocking politeness.

Hinata had no choice. She walked through the gate. As soon as she had set foot inside the tunnel, the warm humidness of outside was replaced by a cold, dusty air, air that had didn't get refreshed quite often enough.

Ingou followed her in, then slammed the door behind them, immediately blocking out all light. Hinata's heart pounded as she heard the chains rattle back into place. __

What now?

"Beacon," Ingou said softly, and suddenly he was radiating with a faint glow, which was only just enough to illuminate an area of a few feet around him. He grinned at Hinata.

"You had better stay _very_ close to me now. You can hold my hand if you're afraid of the dark, you know."

Hinata bit her lip. She hadn't thought she would be led to a place so well hidden. The odds of Naruto and Neji finding her here were nil.

_Then I'll have to find my way out of here myself. In my weakness I ran away, and now I have to deal with the consequences. With the power that lies in myself. But Naruto... it is still you who first showed me that power, and as long as there's hope for... for us... thinking of you will remain a source of power for me._

She stared down the dark corridor, even though she couldn't see anything. She felt Ingou's gaze on her, curious to see what she would do.

_I'll be brave like you. Then next time I see you, I won't have to be ashamed, and you can be proud of me!_

She took a deep breath, and started walking.

***

Modosu sipped from his wine.

It was a good wine, full and fruity just the way he liked it. It was at least as good as the wines he had enjoyed in his younger years, when he had been roaming the streets of Sunagakure, the Village hidden in the Sand. Of course, those wines had not been _his_ – nothing had really been his back then, apart from the clothes he wore and the power he wielded in their little youth gang – but that didn't matter for the taste.

_Ah, the good old days,_ he mused, _when none of us cared for the future because we didn't think we'd survive that long. And just look at me now. Still one step below real power, just as I was back then, but no longer in a petty children's club. This is the real thing._

He had long ago realised that the ideal position in any organisation was just one step below the top, as long as whoever was above you was to a certain degree incompetent. That way, if you were subtle enough, you could exert almost as much influence as the leader, but without being the target of constant conspiracies from the more ambitious members of the lower echelons. As long as you made sure you knew more than the rest, they couldn't do without you and would think twice before making you an enemy.

_But what's at stake right now is more than just my life, and things aren't going as planned. But there is still time. I just wish some people weren't so impatient._

At that last thought, he smiled, and turned around to face the one who had been rude enough to enter without knocking.

"So, we finally get to meet face to face," he spoke before taking another sip from his drink. Then he corrected himself by saying: "Well, not entirely. I still can't see your face, for example."

And indeed, the shadowy figure standing in the doorway was positioned just out of reach of the candlelight, and his features were, as always, shrouded in darkness. Modosu couldn't tell whether this was on purpose or a coincidence, but he felt his curiosity grow stronger by the second.

_I should have lit a fire in the hearth. _

For a moment, he even considered grabbing one of the candles and holding it close to the silhouette, but at that moment the figure spoke up, interrupting the wanderings of Modosu's mind abruptly.

"Stop talking nonsense. Just answer my question."

Modosu shrugged.

"Fine. Yes, the girl is here. Ingou brought her in just a short while ago."

"A completely unnecessary course of action. There was never any need for him to interfere in the first place."

"Maybe, maybe..."

Modosu emptied his glass, savoured the exquisite taste on his tongue for a moment, then sighed deeply.

"But you have to admit it made your job easier."

"It was unnecessary," the figure repeated. "It doesn't matter. How is she doing?"

"She's not injured," Modosu said shortly. He stared sadly into his empty glass.

"But?"

"Well, I gather she has fallen ill," Modosu said uninterestedly.

"Severely ill?"

"Not yet, though without the proper treatment-"

"Then have your best medics standing by to see to her immediately after the ritual."

Modosu smiled.

"Isn't that a bit ironic? You worrying about her health even with what you're about to do to her? Or are you just... protecting your interests?"

"What must be done, must be done. But none of this is her fault, so the least we can do is treat her properly and make sure she gets through this with as little discomfort as possible. Besides..."

The figure stepped forward, towards Modosu and in reach of the candles. The light reflected off his Konoha forehead protector. It fell on his long brown hair, which was tied together at the bottom. And it revealed his serious, impassive, calculating white eyes, which stared distrustful at Modosu.

"Besides," Neji repeated, "she is still my cousin, and if anything unforeseen happens to her, I'll know where to find you. Now, let's get on with the plan. Our time is short."


	9. Chapter 8

_Chapter Eight_

"Let me out of here! The joke's over, you hear? If you don't come here and release me then... then... I don't know what I'll do."

Naruto thought for a moment, then added:

"But whatever it is, you won't like it!"

Nobody answered, most likely because nobody heard him. He sighed, turned away from the door, and sagged down on his bed, rubbing his face with his hands in another attempt to remember the details of what had happened the day before.

_It seems like ages ago that Neji woke me up and told me Hinata was gone... kidnapped by Ingou, he said. And I believed him. Of course I did. If we can't even trust our own friends, then who can we trust?_ _But he betrayed us... even yesterday, when he said we were searching for Hinata, he was probably just leading me to this place so he wouldn't have to carry me all the way. And I followed him like some brainless idiot._

Naruto started pacing around the room agitatedly, restless, unable to vent his abundance of energy. At the end of the day, when they had finally reached the mountains, Neji had suddenly grabbed him from behind and forced a needle in his neck.

"_I'm sorry for misleading you," _he had said as Naruto, taken completely by surprise, had helplessly tried to break free from his grip.

"B_ut I don't have time to deal with you right now."_

The needle must have contained some sort of knockout drug, because Naruto's first memory after that was waking up in this room, alone. A small clock indicated that it was about ten in the morning, which meant he had been unconscious all evening and night. He wasn't used to resting that much, and his muscles almost cried for exercise, but the door was locked and there were no windows to escape through.

The rest of the room was not very interesting either. Floor, walls and ceiling were all covered in wood, which made the chamber look uncomfortably much like a huge coffin, albeit a richly decorated one. The furniture consisted of two beds with accompanying bedside tables, a large dresser, a simple round table with four chairs, and a low couch. A doorway led to a small bathroom which, while lacking an actual bath, still contained a nice shower. Naruto couldn't help but notice there was no kitchen area, nor any place to store food. Whoever occupied this room would depend on food from outside.

Naruto had not eaten since lunch the day before, but any feeling of hunger he might have had was drowned out by the fear and worries he held for Hinata. When they had been searching for her he had at least felt he was doing something to get her back, that as long as he kept moving he would get closer to her. But now that he was stuck in this place his doubts grew stronger by the minute.

_I don't know where she is, nor how she is doing. According to Neji, Ingou took her away, and that might be true, but there's no indication that Ingou and Neji are on the same side in whatever is going on. If that's the case then even Neji might not know where she is now._

Normally he would feel frustrated, even angry, but right now he felt uncharacteristically sad and discouraged, which was a very confusing situation for the eternal optimist.

_My emotions have been all over the place since I saw you again, Hinata... I don't know what it is you're doing to me, but it's changing me. I can't tell yet how exactly, or whether it's for the better or worse. But if the little time we spent together so far is any indication, then... I never want to lose this again._

He suddenly smiled as he saw her image before him, smiling at him, blushing. __

You strange girl, with your quietness and your pretty eyes. I can't believe I've never noticed before how different you are from everyone else. It's like I've found an odd kind of treasure, the kind you only find once in a lifetime.

His smile faded.

_But now they're trying to take that away from me again. Do they think I'm just going to let that happen? Do they believe I'll just stand by while they take you away and harm you? Hell no!_

He smacked his fist against the palm of his other hand in grim determination. Whatever it was he felt for Hinata, it gave him a purpose, gave him strength, and gave him hope.

_I'll show them what happens if they mess with Naruto Uzumaki! If they think they can keep me locked in here, they're mistaken!_

He eyed the door with renewed interest. It was solidly locked, of course, but it was only made of wood. He'd tried bashing it open before but it hadn't given way. However, he had more tricks up his sleeve.

"Alright. Let's do this. Shadow Clone Technique!"

A second Naruto appeared in a puff of smoke. They both nodded, and then the real Naruto held out his right hand while the other one rapidly moved his hands over it as if outlining a sphere. And indeed, within moments a ball of fast-spinning chakra the size of a large tennis ball had formed, and when it was complete Naruto dispelled the clone and focused on the door.

_If this doesn't blow it off its hinges, nothing does. Here we go!_

"Rasengan!"

Just before the technique hit the solid wood, the door was opened from outside, and Naruto tripped, tumbled forward and crashed into the wall opposite from his room, losing focus on the Rasengan in the process, which was blown apart into a short chakra-enforced gust of wind.

"Looks like I was just in time," a voice said. "I figured you'd try to force your way out of here sooner or later."

Naruto blinked, realised who was talking to him, jumped to his feet and took a defensive stance immediately.

"Neji!" he said, barely able to hide his surprise. "You... I..." He shook his head. "I don't know what's going on here, but if you even laid a finger on Hinata-"

"Hinata is unharmed. She's fallen sick, unfortunately, but the best medics are taking care of her now. She'll be okay, trust me."

"W-what?"

Naruto eyed Neji suspiciously. __

Is that true or is he just saying that to make sure I keep calm and do what he wants?

"Are you serious? No, wait! Why should I trust you? You lured us here, admit it! You've been lying to us!"

"I won't deny that," Neji replied calmly, "but that was the only way to get you here, and that in turn is the only reason I lied. There is no more need for secrets now. I will tell you everything you wish to know."

"Everything?"

Naruto hesitated. It was an appealing idea to finally get some answers, but he wasn't sure if he could trust Neji again so easily.

"And Hinata is safe?"

"Perfectly. Do you think I'd let my own cousin be harmed?"

"There are a lot of things I didn't think you would do. I want you to prove it. I want to see her right now."

Neji shook his head.

"I'm sorry, you can't. She has to be examined and treated first. But that will probably be finished somewhere in the afternoon. Why don't you walk with me in the meanwhile? I have a lot to tell you."

"Hmm. Okay," Naruto said warily. "But if she's harmed in any way-"

"That's settled then. Follow me."

Neji closed the door without locking it again, then started calmly walking down the corridor, followed closely by Naruto, who was looking around bewilderedly. The hall they were in, lit by an endless series of torches and occasionally branching off to both left and right, was long, winding and irregular. The floor was flat, but the walls and ceiling were rough and edgy, obviously carved out from solid rock.

_I get it, _Naruto thought with a shock,_ we're inside one of those mountains!_ _But who would create such an extensive tunnel system here, and why?_

"I see you wondering," said Neji, "but in order for you to understand where we are and what is going on here, you must know a little bit of history. Naruto, how much do you know of the Hyuuga clan's past?"

Naruto made a face.

"Um... I never paid a lot of attention during history lessons..."

"I doubt you would learn about this at school. It's not common knowledge, not even in the clan itself."

He paused.

"I'm referring to an event that took place several hundreds of years ago, long before Konoha was founded. The Hyuuga clan was already mighty back then, and their territory provided safety and stability in a world of chaos. No enemy could challenge them, and yet they had no desire for expansion. It was almost perfect, and they might have lived on in peace for a long time to come."

He sighed.

"But then a dispute arose, and the Hyuuga turned against themselves, ruining the dream from the inside."

Naruto frowned. He knew the Hyuuga clan was the most important clan in Konoha, and probably the most powerful as well since the Uchiha had been wiped out. But he hadn't known they had already been important that long ago. The shinobi world was so tumultuous that during the few history lessons they had gotten in the Academy they had only been able to cover the last few decades.

"What caused this dispute, then?" he asked, his interest peaked.

"Strangely enough, nobody knows. Many knowledge was lost over the centuries, and the records that remain of that period are few and hard to decipher. But I assure you, the cause is not quite so important as the consequences in this case. You see, what happened was that eventually the clan was divided into two groups. The one group was led by the clan leader, and comprised most of his direct family, other influential families and the fiercely loyal. The other group was led by his brother, who was called Kodu, and consisted mainly of the lesser families within the clan. The 'noble' group obviously possessed the most power, and as the tension between the parties increased Kodu, who was a just and peaceful man, realised that it would be only a matter of time before his brother would start taking violent measures."

Naruto listened intently.

"A good guy and his evil brother then, right? So what did Kodu do? He didn't just give up and surrender, did he?"

"He didn't. One faithful night, his entire group abandoned the clan, never to return."

"The... entire group? That must have been a lot of people."

"Many hundreds. It was a stealth operation the likes of which had never been seen before, especially if you consider the difficulties of sneaking past Byakugan users. It is said it was organised by the clan leader's daughter, the Hyuuga heiress at that time. Her name was Kiza, and she was a strategic genius who was the only one of her family to be on the side of her uncle."

"Okay, but even so... what does this have to do with anything? If it happened so long ago..."

"It matters because that event shaped the future of the entire Hyuuga clan. When the clan leader found about half of his people missing and all his efforts to retrieve them were in vain, his heart grew cold and he created a set of rules that would change the clan forever."

Neji shot Naruto a weary gaze.

"He introduced the system of the cursed seals."

"No way!"

Naruto stared back in disbelief. The cursed seals, the strict separation of head and branch family... he had always considered these as much part of Hyuuga as the Byakugan itself. And maybe they had come to be so, over time, but if Neji's tale was true, then it had never been a natural state of affairs.

"It's the truth," Neji ensured him, apparently having guessed his thoughts. "To prevent the lesser families from ever rising up again, to prevent the secret of the Byakugan to spread, and to secure the power of the ruling family, the remaining branch families were subjected to a lifetime of servitude and oppression – the 'reward' for their decision not to flee. Ironically, at the time, most of them took it willingly, seeing as their loyalty to the clan leader was unquestionable. Perhaps they thought it would be for the best in the end. But now, so many years later, we can see that it has only led to more hatred and sorrow."

After those words, Naruto was quiet for a while. As they walked through the seemingly endless hallways, which always sloped slightly upward, he wondered whether that Hyuuga leader could ever have foreseen the consequences of his decision.

_Would he have known the system would last so long, that it would become so natural to the clan they didn't even question its origins anymore? I can see why this information is so important to Neji. If not for the system of main and branch families, his father might still have lived. But it goes beyond just him... the entire branch family has restrictions placed on them because of the decision of one man. If they knew exactly how and why this system had come to be, they might no longer accept that life so readily._

"So... what happened to the group that left the clan, then?" he asked eventually, eager to find something that tied in to their current situation. Neji's tale was interesting in its own right, but it didn't explain anything what was going on.

"I don't think the story is over yet."

"Indeed," Neji said with an affirmative nod. "It is true that the Hyuuga left in Konoha never found their missing members again. They were suspected to have moved to another country, where they, according to beliefs in those days, would have soon perished as they were thought to be the weakest part of the clan. In fact, the whole situation was quickly hushed up, so that the later generations would consider the whole cursed seal situation a part of life rather than a fairly new development. Parents were forbidden to tell their children, and within two, three generations it was as good as forgotten. I suspect that nowadays, only Hiashi-sama and the elders know about it, and perhaps not even all the details."

The corridor suddenly opened up to a slightly larger hall, the surfaces of which were all neatly coated with wood, making the place look a lot more comfortable than the stone tunnels. In the wall opposite of the one they exited from stood two large double doors, intricately carved and partially coloured a deep, warm red. Naruto could see several other tunnels like their own leading away from this hall. Above the entrances hung pieces of cloth that seemed to indicate which tunnel led where; in a quick glance Naruto noticed the words 'medical' and 'temple' among others.

Neji walked over to the double doors and laid his palms on them.

"But the truth is," he spoke slowly, "that Kodu's group never fell apart. They never even left the country. They chose to hide, and watch the proceedings in Konoha from afar. They hid in a place where nobody would ever look for them."

He glanced over his shoulder at Naruto.

"They hid right here."

He swung the doors open, and Naruto felt his jaw drop.

A huge cave lay spread out before them, several square miles in surface area and at least three, four hundred feet high. And in it lay – Naruto couldn't believe his eyes – a city, spread out through the entire cave and defying all laws of probability. Most of it was illuminated by large fires that were lit either on top of buildings, on empty rocks or in special fire bowls that hung from the ceiling on long chains, bathing the entire place in a hot, orange glow. The buildings were simple and plain, but also solid and well-built, designed for functionality, not for esthetical pleasure. Because of the irregular shape of the cave floor they lay on many different levels, and small pathways meandered between them, not because they had been planned to but because they had worn out of the hard rock over the centuries. The largest pathway was also the only one to be paved, and it appeared to be more or less the main street, leading from the centre of the town all the way up the gentle slope to the double doors Naruto had just stepped through. From this vantage point he could oversee the whole village, and it was such an incredible sight he could only stand and stare.

He was even more amazed when he noticed the people, who walked through the streets of the small town as if it was perfectly normal to live on the inside of a mountain. Like their houses, most of their clothing was simple, but it was more colourful as well, brightening the place up a bit. Naruto saw people of all ages, from babies carried around by their mothers to old wrinkled men and women who sat quietly on benches and regarded the proceedings around them solemnly, probably thinking back on how it used to be. Most of the citizens seemed to have the white Byakugan eyes, but there were also many with normal blue, green or brown eyes, and Naruto wondered who they were.

"Come," said Neji. "They know who I am. They will leave us alone. We can get you something to eat before we talk more."

Neji started walking down the road, and Naruto followed, wondering whether he was perhaps still dreaming.

Gradually, people started to notice the newcomers, and when they did they fell silent or started whispering behind their hands. Naruto was surprised to see most people looked angry rather than curious, and one man even shook his fist at them, but nobody tried to stop or harm them or even speak to them. Not that they had to – their eyes said enough. All those cold stares reminded Naruto of his childhood, when the people of Konoha had believed he was a dangerous demon rather than a lonely boy. He started to feel very uncomfortable.

_What's wrong with these people? I haven't done anything wrong and they look at me as though I've murdered someone._

He looked at Neji, who seemed ill at ease as well, even though he tried not to show it. Eventually they entered the nearest ramen bar just to be away from the stares for a moment. The man behind the counter, probably the owner, served them their food without saying a word or accepting payment, and then ignored them for the rest of their stay. Naruto ate in silence, unhappy about both the people's strange reactions and about the ramen, which was not nearly as good as Ichiraku's back in Konoha.

"Don't blame these people for their responses," Neji said while Naruto, hungry as he was, wolfed down his food. "They're just not used to outsiders, that's all."

_Is that all? If they don't usually get outsiders in, what reason do they have to be so angry and hostile towards us?_

"You know, I don't get it," he asked. "How can they have remained undetected for all those years? This cave seems to lead directly out at some points. It doesn't take much to get in."

"True, but you would have to find it first. The simple fact is that hardly anyone ever passes through these mountains. Most people that travel from the Land of Fire to the Land of Wind take the main roads further up north, and the few people that do come here take the normal mountain road, in the southern part of the mountain range. And they don't usually take the time to go out and explore, as there as simply nothing of interest to find. This mountain range is of no strategic value and harbours no valuable minerals, and is therefore simply left alone. It's the perfect hiding place."

Naruto nodded. It made sense. Besides, if you didn't expect to see something, half the time you didn't see it even if it was right in front of you.

_What would the Hyuuga in Konoha do if they found out about this? Would they embrace these people as long lost friends, or would they see them as a threat to their power? It's hard to predict after such a long time. Heck, it's even hard to believe this is happening at all. Legends are supposed to be untrue, that's what they're legends for. But this is a legend brought to life, and that's going to cause trouble._

"You said they were watching Konoha," he suddenly remembered. "Watching the other Hyuugas. Is that... is that why we're here? Is something going to happen?"

"Yes."

"That's not an answer. What's going to happen?" inquired Naruto as Neji didn't continue."You said you'd tell me everything, remember? I want to know what's going on, why we are here. I want to know what you're doing with Hinata!"

The hope that Neji's initial reassurances had instilled in him had already started to fade – as long as he didn't see Hinata, he wouldn't know for sure how she was doing.

"Keep your temper," Neji advised. "I would like to tell you what her role in all of this is, but the leader of this clan – Rousoku-sama – has expressed the wish to speak to you personally."

"Why? What does he care about me?"

"I... I don't know why," Neji added hesitatingly. "Perhaps he's just curious to see you. They don't get many outsiders here."

Naruto didn't believe a word of it, but he was tired of distrusting everything he heard. He would just have to move with the flow for now, find out what he could and then decide what to do next. He stood up abruptly.

"Fine, let's go see this Rousoku guy. I want my answers."

They exited the ramen bar and walked back up the road, ignoring the dark gazes around them which pricked in their necks and only made Naruto's mood worse. They passed through the double doors and entered one of the tunnels; it had 'offices' written on the cloth above it. Unlike the first tunnel they had walked through, this one seemed to consist mainly of strange bends and illogical corners, as if the ones constructing it had not been sure where they wanted to go in the first place, and Naruto quickly lost all sense of direction. Fortunately there were but a few intersections, and neat signposts on the wall indicated what way they had to go. Eventually Neji stopped at a point where the tunnel split in two and pointed down the left path.

"Over there lies the office of Rousoku-sama's advisor, along with the library where all the ancient books and scrolls are kept. To the right we find his own office. He should be waiting for us there."

Naruto nodded wearily; he had bigger concerns right now than knowing where to find the local dust trap.

_Hinata..._

They took the right-hand road, and eventually they ended up in front of a disappointingly plain wooden door with an impressive lock. Neji knocked.

"Enter."

Neji pushed the door open and beckoned for Naruto to go in, which he did. As soon as he set foot inside, his gaze automatically swivelled to the other people in the room. Behind the desk, which was positioned to Naruto's left, sat a tall man wearing a black, red-rimmed kimono and a satisfied smile that Naruto instantly disliked, even though he wasn't sure why. His hair was long, black and curly, and his white eyes looked down upon Naruto with a hint of arrogance. Next to him stood a young man who Naruto figured had to be the advisor Neji had mentioned.

"Rousoku-sama," Neji said politely, "this is Naruto Uzumaki, as you requested."

"Ah, I did, didn't I...?"

Rousoku leaned forward and watched Naruto intently.

"So, this is the fox child, then?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"What did you call me?"

Something sparked in Rousoku's eyes – amusement?

"Fox child," he repeated. "Jinchuuriki. Monster."

Rousoku shrugged as he saw Naruto's angry stare.

"Oh, come on, you must have heard those words so many times before. Don't worry, I have nothing against your kind. On the contrary. I think your powers are very... interesting."

"What do you think you're saying?" Naruto said agitatedly. "Our powers? We're not some kind of tools! People like you... they can't see beyond the power. We're just as much human as anyone else!"

"Yes, yes, of course."

Rousoku made a vague gesture.

"Aren't we all? Some of us just are a little... different, no?"

Naruto had to force himself to stay calm. __

Remember why you're here! You won't get any answers if you beat this guy up. Use your brains rather than your muscles for once, Uzumaki!

He took a deep breath, let his body relax, then looked calmly into the man's eyes.

"I don't care what you think about me. Just tell me what is going on here, and why you need Hinata for it."

Rousoku smiled, leaned back in his chair and observed Naruto for a while before answering.

"Our clan," he said eventually, "the Hidden Branch, as we call it, has been living in exile for long enough. We have been driven out by the main clan, but the time has come for us to return, to claim our own place in Konoha, a place that rightfully belongs to us. They thought we were gone – well, that gives us the element of surprise, really. We will strike back and revert the situation to how it was before the Escape, when all Hyuuga could live as equals. And for that, the head family must go, by force if necessary."

"What do you mean by... go? You want to get rid of them? Are you serious?"

Naruto looked at him incredulously.

"This is about revenge? Even after all that time... just when the other Hyuuga have forgotten you even exist, have forgotten there was ever a struggle... you just want to continue that conflict?"

Naruto turned around, looked at Neji.

"Neji... how can you go along in this? Don't you see how ridiculous this is? You of all people should know about how to deal with such grudges!"

He pointed an angry finger at him.

"I thought you had changed! I thought you had stopped hating the head family! So why are you here planning their downfall? It makes no sense!"

Neji shook his head slowly.

"Naruto, you don't understand. I have changed, and that is exactly why I'm here. How can you not see this, while it was you who explained this to me in the first place?"

Naruto was taken aback.

"Me?"

"Don't you remember? Until the Chuunin Exams, I had always believed in fate, that everything was decided from the start. I believed that I was forever meant to be subjected to the head family's will."

He shook his head again.

"You showed me how wrong I was, how we are able to change our own lives. That there is no predetermined destiny. You showed me that those who start out as failures may surpass everyone else in the end. And in the same league, those who start out caged... may eventually break free from their chains. The branch family was never meant to exist merely to serve and protect the head family. This is not about revenge, Naruto. It is about justice. All we want is to get rid of the system of the cursed seals, which will allow the future generations to grow up in freedom, and permit the Hidden Branch to return to Konoha without fear of being branded with the seals and subjected themselves. When we say 'by force', we mean that only as a last resort. Ideally, we want to... persuade the head family to get rid of the system without causing any bloodshed."

"But that will never work!"

Naruto couldn't believe what was going on here, but he knew he had to stop it no matter what; in his mind he already saw a war-torn Konoha, torn up by struggles within.

"Do you think they will just let go of their power like that?" he continued loudly. "Even an outsider like me can see it won't be that easy. I don't think anyone be powerful enough to force such a change in the Hyuuga clan without causing casualties."

"Which was our main problem, until now," said Rousoku, causing Naruto to spin around – he had almost forgotten he and Neji were not alone in the room.

Rousoku seemed to enjoy his frustration, and his tone was almost mocking when he continued.

"The Hidden Branch has no enemies, simply because nobody knows we're here. But the consequence of that is that we are military weak. Very few of our people are trained in combat, and even those few cannot match up against the Hyuuga in Konoha. And of course, we have no Jinchuuriki to fight for us like Konoha does."

Naruto growled, but Rousoku ignored it.

"That is why we have been waiting for so long, looking, searching for a way to gain power."

He smiled again.

"And now, after so many decades, we believe we finally have found such a power... in the form of Neji here."

"What?"

Naruto looked back at Neji confusedly. __

Neji? Neji is the power they want to use to manipulate the head family? That's ridiculous! Sure, Neji is strong, but... to take on the whole Hyuuga clan? That's impossible. He's only a year older than me, and still in training. What is going on here?

He took a moment to sort it all out in his head – there was so much new information it was getting hard to keep track. __

I couldn't make this stuff up... an ancient branch of the Hyuuga clan that wants to take revenge, no, mete out justice against the head family and get rid of the cursed seal system? And they want to use Neji for that... but how can Neji be strong enough? And how does Hinata fit in the picture? If all of this was set up from the start then this entire mission was just a fake, just a way to get Hinata here... so she must be important in some way. But why and how?

"You seem confused about this, fox child," said Rousoku. "I suppose we'll have to explain in detail. What a bother."

He sighed.

"Modosu, go ahead."

"Yes, Rousoku-sama."

The advisor, who had been silent so far, took a step forward. His expression was completely neutral, and Naruto wondered how long he had practiced on that.

"I'll just assume you were surprised because you think Neji is not strong enough for our purposes," said the young man, "and as a matter of fact, you are right in that. At this moment, he does not yet possess the required power. However, you might also know Neji is extremely talented, even for the Hyuuga standards. We have observed him as he grew up, and we believe he may be talented enough to awaken the ultimate Hyuuga power."

"Which is?"

Naruto was getting a bit fed up with all the dramatic pauses; he just wanted answers.

"I doubt you would have heard of it. Its status is almost mythical, and it hasn't been awakened in ages. It is called the Namigen."

Naruto hesitated.

"That doesn't ring a bell."

"It wouldn't. It is a power that lies dormant in all Hyuuga, but only the most talented can awaken it, and when they do they are said to gain so much power they become invincible in battle. The last time that happened was even before the Escape, though, and our records are a bit shady and lack some details. However, the Namigen is definitely not a myth – the ancient scrolls speak clearly of several great Hyuuga leaders who possessed the power, and who subsequently had a great impact on the clan's power."

Naruto looked at Neji again, not sure what to think. Neji just stood there, perfectly calm as always, but on the inside even he would have to feel the burden that now lay on his shoulders. If he indeed carried such power within him – of which Naruto was not at all convinced yet – he could change the entire clan, if not Konoha itself if he wished to. But would he change it for the better or for the worse? And then there was something else...

"That explains all but one thing," Naruto said, in the tone of voice that indicated his patience was running out. "And I'm not going to ask this again. What do you need Hinata for?"

This time it was Neji himself who answered.

"The cursed seal that I am branded with," he said with a gesture at his forehead, "does more than destroy my brains whenever a head family member sees fit. It also prevents me from gaining the power of the Namigen, which of course is no coincidence – the head family would do anything to prevent a branch family member from gaining such power, for the exact reasons we have just discussed."

"But," added Modosu, "there is a way to remove the cursed seal. The secret technique involved is complicated and takes a lot of time, and the price is high."

"What price?" demanded Naruto, already fearing the worst, but not willing to believe it.

_It couldn't be..._

"A sacrifice," Rousoku said slowly, stressing each syllable. "The technique extracts from an unbranded Hyuuga that what gives them their bloodline abilities, and transfers it to the Hyuuga carrying the seal. Then the seal will disappear and that Hyuuga will be able to enjoy the full power of the Hyuuga bloodline... but the one from which it was extracted will lose all those abilities. He or she will lose their Juuken and their Byakugan, and with that their eyesight will disappear completely."

"No!" Naruto shouted. "You can't be serious! You're going to do that to Hinata? Turn her blind and powerless? You can't do that! That would ruin her whole life, everything she worked for!"

"A small sacrifice for the greater good," said Rousoku vehemently. "She should feel honoured!"

Naruto turned to Neji.

"You can't let this happen! You swore to protect her, remember? She's your cousin!"

Neji's eyes were filled with sadness, but they were determined as well.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," he said softly. "But it has to happen. It is the only way to restore order and justice in the Hyuuga clan. If there were another way I would have chosen it, believe me, but there isn't, and I made up my mind."

Naruto backed away from him.

"How could you...! You are sick, all of you! You think I'm just going to let it happen?!" He felt the anger rising inside of him, felt the hot flames bubble under his skin, ready to burst out at any moment. "You said she was safe, dammit! You promised me she was safe! I'm going to get out of here and I'm taking Hinata with me! Don't even try to stop me!"

Neji laid a hand on his shoulder, but Naruto swung his fist around in a reflex and smacked Neji into the wall. He stared at his hand, which was slowly turning more claw-like and was surrounded by an orange glow. __

The fox's chakra... he thought vaguely. _Well, fine! Nobody here I mind hurting right now, anyway... bastards! How dare they... __Hinata... a sacrifice? For the greater good?!_

He gave in to that amazing, overwhelming power from inside, let himself be taken over by the fox, let his consciousness slip away to make way for that of the beast that was awakened by his anger. The last thing he saw was the scared looks on their faces...

And then he was lying on the floor, exhausted, confused, the rage within him vanished.

_What... what happened?_

He looked around him. Everything looked just the same as before – nothing was broken, nobody was harmed. It looked as though they hadn't even moved.

Rousoku stared at him with a sort of insane joy Naruto had never seen before, and Neji...

Neji stood next to him, his hands brought together in a focus seal, beads of sweat on his face, his legs trembling as if he was about to pass out. His eyes were no longer the plain white circles of the Byakugan – within each eye, three extra circles had formed, overlapping each other in the centre of the eye.

"Behold," Rousoku said softly, almost emotionally, "the true power of the Hyuuga clan. Behold the Namigen."_  
_


	10. Chapter 9

_Chapter Nine_

_She lay in a field, and the sun shone brightly on her face. The wind played through her hair. She was carefree and unconcerned, and happy because nothing could touch or harm her here. An invisible barrier surrounded the field, keeping all the bad things out... keeping everything out. She was all alone. She had always been alone. How could anyone pass through that barrier? But it was better this way – she was safe. She was happy, or so she told herself._

_Dark clouds gathered and filled the sky, but not where she was lying as they couldn't reach her. Restless, she sat up, got to her feet, walked around and tried to see what was going on, but around the field was darkness she couldn't penetrate with her eyes. Muffled sounds reached her ears – people screaming, a dog barking? Familiar sounds, but not in a pleasant way. She could feel the fear and anxiety around her even if she couldn't see it. Someone needed her help but couldn't reach her, and she dared not go into the darkness. Gathering her courage in her heart, she tried to overcome the fear and step into the unknown - but she found she couldn't pass her own barrier, which was only meant to keep things out, not in. She tried to push it away, she kicked it, she pounded it with her fists until her hands bled, but it moved not an inch, and when she looked at it again all she saw was her own pathetic reflection, staring at her with contempt and pity. She backed away in fright, realised too late she had imprisoned herself. She fell on her knees as she ran out of air, as the impenetrable wall around her slowly choked her, strangled her, even though it should protect her, turning upon her like a pet wolf, only true to its own kind, as unstoppable as any other force of nature. And then she died._

_The trees flashed by on either side of her, grey and white, haunting her, trying to catch her. The ground was black, if it really was ground, and if she stood still too long she felt she was sinking away in it, and the longer she lingered the harder the next step became. She had a goal, somewhere to get, something to reach, but it seemed impossible – his shape was so far ahead she could not catch up, and he was only moving faster and faster while she only moved slower. She call out for him to wait, but he didn't hear her, he only looked ahead, not back. She lacked the strength to go on, the speed to keep up, the confidence; and the ground pulled her down, making her too heavy to keep moving, and as his shape vanished in the distance the last light disappeared from her life. Her existence was over before it had even started._

_The darkness closed in..._

Pain.

The first thing she noticed was pain.

But pain meant she was alive. Alive and not well, but alive. You had to exist to feel pain, so she definitely existed, perhaps more so than was comfortable at the moment.

_My entire body is aching... but my eyes hurt the most. I can feel there's a bandage around them... why? Where am I?_

She could feel she was lying on something soft, possibly a mattress. Her fingers, heavy and clumsy, groped in the darkness and touched wood – the edge of a bed.

_So I'm in a bed... that doesn't tell me much... what happened before I got here?_

She tried to recall her last memories. Flashes of light flickered through her mind, and she thought she could hear a low hum, but that was all. She tried again, concentrating harder this time.

_A large chamber... torches... a voice, telling me to relax... and a feeling, as if... as if..._

And then she remembered, and she had to bite her lip to prevent herself from shrieking in sudden fear. For that feeling... it had felt as if a part of her was taken away, ripped from her very soul, and now that she recalled it she could feel the void where that part once had been, a strange emptiness inside.

_What have they done to me?_

But before she could come to terms with this new, horrible feeling, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door opening and the footsteps of two people entering the room, discussing vehemently. She quickly pretended to be asleep, meanwhile listening carefully to their words.

"...but I'm telling you, nothing good will come of this! Contact with the outside can only harm us, you know that!" a slightly high-pitched male voice spoke loudly. "If we don't do something-"

"Shh! Quiet," said another man in a calmer, lower tone. "Look."

Hinata could feel their gazes upon her, and could barely suppress the annoying urge to blush she always felt when people stared at her. The fact someone had removed her vest didn't help – she liked wearing that because it made her a lot less interesting to look at.

"I think she's asleep," the first man said quietly.

"But who is she?" asked the other. "She's not from here..."

He moved closer to Hinata's bed, until she could clearly hear his breathing in the otherwise quiet room.

"Come look at this," he said. "This emblem... isn't that the Leaf of Konoha?"

The first man stepped closer as well.

"Looks like it. Gee, I didn't think I'd ever see one of those for real. But that means... she's from Konoha as well?"

They considered this in silence for a while. Then the second man said:

"They have pretty girls in Konoha."

"Is that all you can think about?" The first man suddenly sounded nervous. "Don't you see what this means? This confirms the rumours! Rousoku-sama already made contact with Konoha!"

"I can see that. But why? What do we have to gain from that? I thought our ancestors moved here to get away from those head family bastards in the first place."

"That's what I'm trying to tell you! This spells trouble like nothing else! Rousoku-sama doesn't know what he's getting himself into, that crazed old git!"

Another moment of uneasy silence followed.

"You know, I always said that man would bring the Branch down one day," the second man eventually said. "I suppose that's how it goes. Nothing to do about it, really."

"What? But, don't you see? This is an opportunity!" Hinata pictured the man looking over his shoulder nervously. "This might even be our only chance!"

"Our chance for what exactly?" the other asked sharply.

"To... to stop Rousoku-sama's schemes! This girl... he wouldn't have brought her all the way here if he didn't need her, right?"

"I don't like where this is going..."

"I'm just saying. We could... take her away. Or, y'know. Kill her. Something."

"Are you out of your mind?" the second man said angrily. "Doesn't anything get through that thick skull of yours? _Kill_ her? And then what? The people in Konoha say, oh that's fine, we didn't really need her anyway? If anything you would cause more problems for us, idiot. And besides, Rousoku-sama won't look on you too kindly either."

"But what if we just-"

"That's enough of your crazy ideas for one day! Let's just get the stuff and get out of here."

Hinata heard them moving away from the bed and rummage in some cupboards; the first man kept muttering under his breath all the while, and Hinata feared that at any moment he might make some desperate attempt to harm her, but fortunately he lacked either the courage or the resolve and eventually the men exited the room again, finally allowing Hinata to take some deep breaths.

_That was weird. Who are these people? And where am I?_

The last thing she clearly remembered was being led to a small room by Ingou, somewhere deep in the bowels of the mountain. It had been cold there, but exhaustion had got the better of her and eventually she had fallen asleep. Whatever happened after that... she might have been half-conscious at the time, but she couldn't recall it now. Only that feeling lingered, the feeling of being incomplete.

But there was no time to reflect on that now. Wherever she was, it wasn't a friendly place. The least she could do was try to get out of here. If she could somehow find Naruto again, she'd be safe – as long as she was this weakened, there was no way she could defend herself, but he would protect her, she knew he would.

In spite of her muscles being sore and her limbs heavy, she managed to work herself up into a sitting position with her back against the wall that made up the head of the bed. Even that little exercise drained her energy, and she cursed her own weakness. She now also noticed how hungry she was – the last thing she had eaten would have been the lunch Ingou had shared with her. On the other hand, her fever and headache seemed to have retreated. What bothered her most right now was the pain in her eyes. With trembling fingers, she examined the bandages around her head, which covered only her eyes but were wound so tightly she couldn't pry them loose. She might be able to cut them if she had something sharp, but she didn't. She sighed. It seemed like nothing ever could go easy.

Having nothing better to do, she tried to get an image of the room she was in, tricky as that was without being able to see. She knew there was a wall to her back and a door in another wall somewhere to the right, suggesting the room was at least slightly oblong in shape. There were some cupboards to her left, probably against the third wall, and considering there was no audible echo the fourth wall, that was opposite of her, could not be far off either. She could only guess what the rest of the room was like, but when she leaned all the way to the right and reached out as far as she could, her fingers touched another bed just like hers, which meant this was either a dormitory or more specifically, judging by the fresh, almost chemical smell, a hospital room.

_Hospitalised again after all, then. I should never have gone on this mission, but... I just wanted to be with Naruto-kun. Would he be looking for me now, wondering where I had gone off to? Would he do so much as think of me? If only I knew for sure... I could suffer happily._

She started as the door was swung open again. Possibly the room was isolated specifically to keep noise out, because she had not heard any approaching footsteps. Now she did – they were light steps, while at the same time firm and determined.

"Well, look at that, you're all awake and eager to get out, I see," a woman's voice cut through the deafening silence. "And here I thought you'd be out of it for some more hours to come. So, how are you feeling? Your eyes giving you trouble? I figured they would. Don't worry girl, I'll take a look at it right away."

Hinata could only nod, slightly unsettled by this outburst of sound. Judging by the sound of her voice, the woman still had to be fairly young herself, but she spoke with an authority that could have belonged to someone much older.

"Now," the newcomer said as she moved over to Hinata, "I need you to sit very still for a moment, okay?"

Hinata nodded nervously. The woman – or was it a girl? – laid a hand on the bandage that covered Hinata's eyes, and a warm glow spread out from where they touched. Slowly, the pain faded away, until it had completely disappeared. Hinata let out a grateful sigh of relief.

"There we go," the young woman said approvingly. "that was the finishing touch. You should be happy you didn't wake up earlier, or the pain would have been a lot worse. Now, let's take those bandages off, shall we?"

With swift and cunning fingers, she quickly untied and unwound the piece of cloth.

"There. You can open your eyes now."

Carefully, Hinata's eyelids went up, fluttered a few times, then opened completely. Panic grabbed her heart as she looked around her.

"E-everything's blurry and vague!" She blinked frantically, but it didn't help. "My eyes...!"

The girl, who was sitting on her bed, laid a calming hand on her cheek.

"I know, dear, and I'm sorry. Just try to relax for now, okay? Panicking won't get us anywhere."

"Y-yes... but... when will this go over?" Hinata squinted in an attempt to see clearer; it made no difference.

The girl shifted uneasily. "I don't know. It's a pretty unique case, you could say. Try not to worry about it too much. I'll take care of you the best I can."

Hinata looked at the girl closely now for the first time. Her vision was blurred, but she could still make out long blonde hair, a small nose and large, white eyes. She gasped.

"Your eyes... the Byakugan?"

The girl smiled. "Right on. Let me introduce myself."

She stood up with a flourish and made a little bow.

"Kiza Hyuuga, faithful member of the Hidden Branch, chief medical officer of the local hospital and the cheekiest nineteen-year-old ever to wander these caves!"

"But... your name..."

"What, Kiza? You like it? I've been named after one of the most prominent figures of our personal little history, even though that does not say an awful lot."

"No, I mean... Hyuuga? That's not possible..."

Kiza clapped her hands in front of her mouth in an overly dramatic fashion.

"Oh dear! You mean nobody's told you anything yet? About who we are and all that? No?" She sighed. "Typical. Leaving the boring jobs for someone else to do. Well, I'm afraid it's not my place to tell you either. To be honest, I've been told not to talk to you at all, but who's going to stop me? Well, just to make this a little clearer for you: we're a long forgotten branch of the Hyuuga clan that has been hiding out here for a long time. That's all I can really say right now. It seems that other Hyuuga kid – is he family of you? – is supposed to tell you all this."

_Other Hyuuga kid?_

Hinata's eyes widened.

"Neji-nii-san? Is he here? I have to see him-"

She tried to get up, but Kiza grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back down.

"Calm down! If he hasn't talked to you yet I bet he'll come by soon to do so. Always let a man come to you, you know, not the other way around."

She winked, but Hinata only wrapped her arms around herself and curled up in a little ball, instinctively trying to protect herself from the unknown. She didn't understand anything of what was going on, but eventually her mind settled on the most important question.

"If... if Neji-nii-san is here... have you maybe seen Naruto-kun as well?" she asked, trying not to get her hopes up.

Kiza frowned. "Boy about your age, average height, blonde hair and a costume that hurts your eyes?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, he's here alright. He and that Neji guy were in town just a short while ago."

A smile appeared on Hinata's face. _At last, some good news. Naruto-kun... will I see you again soon?_

Kiza looked at her inquisitively.

"So, this Naruto guy - is he a friend of yours?" she asked innocently.

This time Hinata couldn't control herself; she blushed.

"Y-yes..."

"Ah, I see!" Kiza grinned. "Good for you!"

Hinata couldn't help it. She started to grin as well...

And then suddenly a jolt of pain shot through her, turning her smile into a grimace.

"Aaah...!"

"Are you okay?" Kiza asked worriedly. "Wait, I'll get you some medicine."

She stood up and walked over to the sink, then started messing around with cups and glasses. Hinata tried to relax a bit. It had only been one jolt, but now she felt her entire body aching again.

"Do you... know what's wrong with me?" she asked quietly.

"I'm afraid not," Kiza said without turning around. "I've been examining you while you were asleep, or rather unconscious, and at first I thought it was just the flu. But it's not. None of my normal medicines seem to help, so I had to develop a new something from scratch."

She walked over to Hinata and placed a tray with two steaming cups of tea on her lap, then dropped a small tablet in one of them.

"It's no cure, but it seems to be slowing whatever it is you have down. Hopefully that will give us enough time to solve the problem completely, right?"

She looked into Hinata's wide-open eyes, then smiled encouragingly.

"Oh, don't look so frightened! I'm a medical expert, I'm sure I'll find something. Besides, it might go over by itself, just like the flu can! So let's not linger on bad thoughts, shall we?"

She turned around and pulled over a chair, sat down and picked up her own tea, meanwhile examining Hinata with curiosity in her eyes.

"So, tell me about yourself a bit!"

"I wouldn't know what to tell..."

"Well, you can start by telling me your name, for example."

Hinata turned red immediately. "I'm sorry! That was rude of me... I thought... I'm Hinata. Hyuuga."

"Hinata. That's a pretty name." Kiza sipped from her tea. "What's life in Konoha like, Hinata?"

Hinata shook her head. "I... I'm sorry to ask this, but... why do you ask these things? I mean no offense," she added quickly. "It's just-"

"That you don't know what side I'm on?" Kiza laughed. "No worries, that's fair enough. But I'm not trying to interrogate you or anything. It's just that I've never been away from this place, and sometimes it gets awfully boring. I long for news from the outside every day, so I was just hoping to chat with you a bit. If you'd rather be alone for a while, that's fine too, but if you're okay with me being here..."

She looked pleadingly at Hinata, who again couldn't help but smile.

"No, that's fine," she said softly. "But I'm really not that interesting to talk about. What I do in Konoha is mostly training. I... want to become stronger, to prove myself."

"Prove yourself to who?"

"To... myself, mostly. But also to Naruto-kun, and to my father... I want to prove I can be a worthy heiress..."

"Heiress?" Kiza blinked. "For real? You are the head family's heiress?"

"Yes, but... not a very good one, I think... even when I was small, I was weak... always too weak. My father tried to have faith in me, but he kept being disappointed..."

And suddenly, Hinata found herself telling Kiza everything, about her father's constant contempt of her weakness, about Neji's hatred towards her and the entire head family, about the pressure of being the heiress to the mighty Hyuuga clan, about her insecurities and fears that haunted her every day. She told her about her decision to become a strong shinobi, about her trying to keep up with her teammates but always being in the way, about lacking the confidence and willpower to become stronger. And she spoke of how she had first seen Naruto, how his stubbornness, his inability to give up had inspired her, how he had been a light to her, a source of power, and how over time, her feelings for him had developed. The words just kept coming, and it felt so good to finally be able to tell someone other than herself. Kiza listened intently, nodded now and then but never interrupted her, and when Hinata finally stopped talking a thoughtful silence followed. It went on for a while, and just when Hinata started to feel embarrassed for her outburst Kiza spoke up, but in a strangely quiet voice.

"Is... is that the way to act? When someone disapproves of you... should you keep trying to prove yourself? Should you never give up, but try to improve every day to reach your goal?"

"That's what Naruto-kun taught me," Hinata said softly. "It's the only thing I know to be completely certain in my life."

"If that's so..." Kiza smiled a sad smile. "Hinata... we are the same. You and I... perhaps we were meant to meet."

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked uncertainly.

Kiza laid a hand on her own heart.

"I, too, am the heiress to my clan. My father, Rousoku, is its current leader. Like you, I was brought up to be a good leader someday myself, but... my father... became obsessed. Obsessed with our so-called feud against the head family."

She noticed Hinata's confused stare, and shook her head.

"You don't have to know the details right now, but ever since our clan settled here centuries ago, revenge against your clan has been the main ideology for its leaders. And every time that responsibility was passed down from father to son, the pressure seemed to become a little bigger. Now, after a few hundred years, it's my father's turn. And he simply can't handle it. It drives him crazy, it haunts him. Would you believe he prays to his predecessors? Of course, we all honour our former leaders, but he's worshipping them, as if they were gods!"

She made an annoyed gesture, saw Hinata's expression, and calmed down a bit. "I'm sorry, I tend to get worked up over that. Don't even get me started on his stupid paranoia."

She sighed, then continued in a sadder tone.

"Anyway, like I said, the first few years he cared for me like a proper loving father. Then his obsession kicked in, and I was shoved aside like some uninteresting pet. He simply stopped caring for me. I... never knew my mother, and when Rousoku started ignoring me I just left our personal chambers and went to live down in the village with the common clan members. They immediately started taking care of me. I didn't live in any specific house – sometimes I'd sleep here, sometimes there. I was welcome everywhere, not just because the people felt pity for me, but because they liked to have me around. My father must have noticed that I was missing at some point, but he never came to get me back. I guess... he must have just thought that was one nuisance less to deal with."

Kiza stopped to take a few deep breaths. Impulsively, Hinata reached out and grabbed the older girl's hand, then smiled friendlily. Kiza smiled back.

"Thanks. Even now, it... it still hurts. These days, he simply tends to ignore me, like he ignores everyone he doesn't need for something. The only one he talks to is that creep Modosu – nobody knows what that guy's up to, but I doubt it's something good."

Suddenly she laughed.

"Oh, look at me, boring you with my life story like this. I just tried to explain why I thought we were so similar. Like you, I didn't let my father's rejection get me down. I just continued to improve myself, if not as a heiress then as something else. And here I am, chief medical officer of the Hidden Branch! What do you think of that?"

Hinata wasn't sure what to say. "It's an... interesting profession. For a heiress, anyway."

"It is, isn't it? To be honest, it was just a coincidence that I had my interest peaked. You see, I am able to lend other's my own chakra – isn't that something? It's an ability I probably inherited from my mother, though it's hard to say for sure. Anyway, at first it seemed quite useless, because our clan is never involved in long-winding battles, but guess what other profession can require a lot of chakra?"

"That of a medical ninja?" Hinata hazarded.

"Spot on! Especially during long procedures, a medic may easily run out of chakra. If that happens, i just place my hand on his shoulder and he can continue using my chakra for a long time! The advantage is that you don't have to get another medic in halfway during an operation, which in some cases is even impossible. Anyway, eventually I started to crave more than just a supporting role. I started doing little things like broken bones and such, then went on to serious surgeries, and apparently I have a knack for it because they actually voted me in charge of the whole business! Of course, we lack a lot of professional medics, but it's still a huge honour for a nineteen-year-old girl like me."

She beamed at Hinata, who involuntarily had to laugh. She'd never met such a strange and kind girl before. It was as if they had been friends for years, so natural it felt to sit there and chat with Kiza, forgetting all the worries for a moment. She realised that Kiza had something about her that simply made her so easy to be with that it was hard not to like her. Naruto had the exact same thing – anyone who stayed in his presence long enough was bound to end up as his friend.

Kiza eventually held Hinata's hands in her own and squeezed them tightly.

"Hinata, I really think you and I were meant to meet. I recognise so much in you, it's as if I'm looking at a past image of myself. But we have to be mindful of the present as well."

Her tone became more serious.

"I have to warn you. You are not in a safe place. I don't know what my father wants with you, only that what they did to you last night was just the start. They're not done with you yet, so stay alert, and stay strong. I will try to find out what is going on, and then I will help you with all my might. Because like I said, we are the same. Both heiresses, both rejected by our fathers as unimportant... but both able to change things. I can feel it. Together, we stand strong. You with me?"

Hinata nodded, and at that exact moment someone knocked on the door, causing both of the girls to start. Kiza gave Hinata's hand another encouraging squeeze, then walked to the door and opened it.

Neji stepped in. He nodded at Kiza, but then turned his attention to Hinata.

"Hinata-sama," he said. "We need to talk. There is much I have to tell you."

***

Kiza walked down the stone corridor hurriedly. Behind her, she could hear the sound of the door closing as Neji entered the room. She wasn't worried about that – she knew the real danger in the current events came from Rousoku and Modosu, not from a newcomer like that Neji.

She passed by a few more hospital rooms, some filled with several beds like the room Hinata had occupied, some intended for emergency surgery. The layout of the place was rather erratic and illogical, which had always irked her, but at the same time she couldn't imagine it any differently. If someone were to redesign the place she would soon be thoroughly lost.

Eventually she entered a small tunnel that branched off the main one and followed it until she reached a door with a sign that had 'Keep out – chief medical officer only' written on it in a neat handwriting. She opened it, and entered the room beyond – her own room, her territory. It was but a small place, consisting of a living area and a bathroom, but it had everything she needed. A small kitchen was cramped in one corner, a large drawer in another. The old, battered desk was empty, but the floor was covered in books, scrolls, clothes, food leftovers, dirty plates and bowls and broken pencils. The wastebasket next to the desk was almost invisible beneath a huge pile of crumpled papers, and the only thing that seemed to stand unused for long enough to gather a layer of dust was an old broom leaning against the wall.

On the bed, which was clean and tidy unlike most of the room, sat Ingou. He was leafing through one of the books that lay spread through the room, but looked up as soon as Kiza entered.

"Bad news," he said. "Looks like the rumours were right."

"I figured that by now. I was hoping for some details."

He grinned. "You're in luck then. I heard some very interesting things."

Kiza sat down next to him on the bed and looked at him seriously.

"What kind of things?"

He told her. She listened quietly.

When he came to the last bit she cursed, and by the time he was done she was pacing around the small room agitatedly.

"I'm not going to let it happen," she said firmly. "I'll stop this no matter what. I just have to find a way."

Ingou drew his sword – it was not an impressive sight, of course, but the sound was all the more ominous.

"This is a good solution," he opined. "Always works for me."

"That's disgusting."

"No, that's effective. But fine. Try your peace-loving methods."

Kiza stopped facing to shoot him a determined glance. "Oh, I will. But first I have to find out what is really going on. Do you think what you heard was the truth? I know my father. He only has one purpose, and that is revenge. We just need to know how he's planning to do it."

"It might be too late when you finally find out. There might not be much time."

She sighed. "You're right about that one. I'll call a meeting. Inform the people." Then she added, suddenly angry again: "I'm going to do all I can to protect her! No matter what it takes! We've been tolerating Rousoku's craziness long enough anyway. Maybe the time has come to take action!"

"Good luck with that. You know where to find me if you need my help."

Ingou stood up and made for the door. In the doorway he hesitated, then turned around. "Kiza?"

She looked up tiredly. "Hmm?"

"Will you be careful?"

She smiled. "Don't you worry. Do you think my father will hurt me? He's misguided, not cruel. Besides, I have the whole village on my side. I'll be fine. You go get some sleep, okay? You look tired."

"You too. And... thanks."

"No problem."

"See you."


	11. Chapter 10

_Chapter Ten_**  
**  
Naruto sat on his bed, staring at his hands, waiting. The look on his face was grim and determined. Grim because of the precarious situation, because of the darkness of Hinata's future – determined because he'd be damned if he was going to let the bastards get away with it.

He looked at the door again, like he did about every five seconds now. His nerves were acting up badly. Neji hadn't been very talkative when he had led Naruto back to his room, but at least he'd promised that Hinata would be brought there as well. That was such a vague statement that Naruto now mentally scolded himself for not asking for details – after all, it didn't say when exactly Hinata would be brought, or in what state. Logic told Naruto that, since Neji already seemed to have awakened his Namigen, Hinata's powers must already have been extracted, but his heart refused to believe that.

_I would have noticed it,_ he tried to reassure himself. _Somehow. Besides, the hero in a story should always have a chance to stop the evil plan and rescue the... princess. Everyone knows that. There has to be a chance, no matter how small._

But what if he had already had his chance, but had missed it? What if his chance had come and gone even before he had reached this place? What if... what if...

What if this was real life and not some fairytale?

But then the door interrupted his thoughts by suddenly being opened from the outside, and Naruto jolted upright immediately.

"Hinata?!"

"Naruto-kun...!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Naruto ran over to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him in spite of what he knew he should and shouldn't do according to general etiquette. She was astonished for a moment, but then gave in to his hug. Their embrace, completely out of the blue, seemed to last ages, and when they finally let go of each other again Hinata was so flustered she didn't know where to look and her cheeks gave a whole new meaning to the concept of blushing. But Naruto just looked at her happily, immensely relieved – as the minutes had dragged by, the images before his mind's eye had become gradually worse, up to the point where he pictured a near-dead Hinata being brought in on a stretcher by two indifferent men who asked him if he had any last words for her.

"I've been worrying sick about you! Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," she lied, "I'm fine. Just a little tired... that's all."

"Great! Let's make sure it stays that way. You won't believe what I heard – Neji is in league with the leader of this clan and they're planning to-"

"Naruto-kun... I already know. Neji-nii-san just told me everything."

"Huh? He did? Then you agree we have to get out of here as soon as possible, right?"

Hinata looked away unhappily.

"Naruto-kun, I... I need to talk to you."

Naruto frowned. "What do you mean? We are talking right now!"

"Yes... please, let's go somewhere else for a moment. I think I would like some fresh air..."

She smiled weakly, then started walking down the hall. Naruto stood dazzled for a moment, then quickly caught up and walked alongside her, eyeing her curiously.

_What's she talking about? She's acting strange. Maybe... maybe she wants to tell me something but isn't sure how to? But why can't she just tell me already? _

He sighed. Girls had such a weird way of talking. Sometimes they said what they meant and sometimes they said the exact opposite. How could a guy keep up with that? Besides, how could she want to be talking at a time like this, when they should be trying to find a way out?

"Okay, that's fine then," he conceded, "but at least tell me what happened to you since I last saw you! Neji said you were kidnapped and hospitalised, is that true?"

"Y-yeah... that boy Ingou brought me here, and then last night, they... did something to me that caused me to end up in the hospital."

"Did something? What did they do?"

"Please, Naruto-kun... we'll be there soon. I don't want to talk here."

"Where are we going then?"

She smiled shyly, but also a bit mysteriously.

"You'll see. I haven't seen it myself, but I've been told it's a nice spot."

They passed through the wood-coated hall and the large double doors in silence, and just when Naruto thought they would go down to the village – something he didn't feel like doing at all – Hinata left the road and walked to one of the many tunnel entrances that could be found throughout the entire cave.

"More tunnels?" Naruto asked sourly as she entered one of them. Hinata shook her head but didn't say anything, and he followed with a sigh.

They followed the tunnel for about five minutes, and a few times they encountered Hidden Branch members, who generally ignored them or shot them angry stares. And just when Naruto was about to propose to turn around and go back, the tunnel ended, and he was treated to yet another of those surprises that the past few days seemed to have been littered with.

Because while he had expected to step into another cave, he suddenly found himself in direct sunlight, which blinded him and hurt his eyes; and while underground it had been cold almost constantly, the temperatures here were so high even breathing was troublesome.

However, once his eyes had gotten more or less used to the brightness around him, he saw that they were in a sort of miniature valley, complete with a murmuring brook and more kinds of vegetation than anyone could care to count. Large fields of flowers in a thousand colours were interrupted here and there by patches of trees which provided some shadow to the people who were out enjoying the sun, picking flowers or washing clothes in the clear water of the small stream. Walls of rock rose up high and almost perfectly vertical on all sides, separating the entire place from the world around it and probably keeping dangerous animals out as well – the only creatures Naruto could readily indentify down here were birds, bees and butterflies, which flew or hummed around lazily in the hot air. The sky was cloudless, a bright endless blue that indicated summer was at its best.

Hinata smiled at Naruto.

"Do you like it?"

"It's amazing," he admitted. "Very peaceful."

She nodded. "Apparently, there are many of these places around here. Some are used to grow vegetables and herbs, and some, like this one, are mainly for relaxing in..."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and Naruto knew how she felt; it was a huge relief to be outside again, even if they had only been underground for a night and half a day.

They found themselves a somewhat secluded place, where they lay down and enjoyed the beautiful weather in silence for a while. The effect of this place was amazing; Naruto could feel himself relax, in spite of everything that was going on. But he didn't relax so much that he stopped caring for it altogether; in fact, his mind had already noticed that the rock walls, which would keep normal citizens inside and animals out, could be easily scaled by a shinobi.

"Hinata," he said softly while pointing at the rocks, "look at this place. It's wide open. We can go up those walls and then we're out of here. This is why I can't understand they let us walk around freely. We can escape without any trouble."

Hinata didn't answer, and Naruto turned his head to look at her, only to find himself staring right into those large white eyes, that apparently had been watching him all the time.

"Gah! Don't stare at me like that!" he laughed, but his smile faded as he saw Hinata's sad gaze. "W-what's wrong?"

She looked away unhappily. "Naruto-kun... I can't leave here."

"What? Why not?" he asked, astonished.

"I'm not as well as I said I was... my illness has been getting worse, and they haven't found a cure yet. I need medicine to suppress it, so if I would leave this place I would never make it to Konoha..."

Naruto made a valiant attempt to hide his shock.

"Okay. Okay... that sucks. But there's a solution. We just have to get our hands on a bunch of that medicine before we escape. How's that sound, huh?" He smiled encouragingly.

Hinata sat up and wrapped her arms around her legs, staring at her toes miserably. The more optimistic Naruto tried to be, the more it hurt her to have to disappoint him. But she had made her choice.

"Naruto-kun, even then... I still can't go."

"But you can't stay here! Don't you know what they're planning on doing to you?"

"I do. But if that's what it takes, then... so be it."

Naruto moved to a sitting position as well and looked at her in confusion, not understanding what was going on, only seeing the trouble she was going through in telling him. Hinata avoided his questioning gaze and bit her lip. She would have to state it clearly, even though it hurt her to do so.

"Please forgive me, Naruto-kun, but... I decided to help Neji-nii-san," she said softly.

For a moment, Naruto was speechless, but then the part of his brain concerned with talking kicked back in.

"Are you serious? _Help_ him? Ruin your own life for some crazy scheme?"

"It's not that crazy...! You're an outsider, Naruto-kun, you don't know what it's like..."

She shook her head and forced herself to calm down a bit.

"Please let me explain. The situation in the Hyuuga clan right now... isn't good. It's bad, very bad. The branch family members are forced to answer to every call of the head family, have to obey them at any time and do anything they wish. The power of the head family members has corrupted some of them, and they treat their fellow Hyuuga as slaves instead of as kinsmen. My father sees no problem. He likes to point out this has always worked for us and will continue to do so in the future. But the branch family members are suffering! They know no freedom, can't choose their own life. This is not the way humans should treat each other, and it's been going on for way too long already. So now that I have a chance to end their suffering... how could I be selfish enough to refuse? How could I choose my own life over that of so many others?"

"But there's no need to rush this all over! You are still the heiress, right? So you will eventually be the new leader, and then you can change whatever you want. Why waste your life now for something you will get for free later on?"

Hinata looked at him sadly.

"Because there isn't that much time. The branch family has always accepted their fate, but ever since Neji openly showed his dismay during the Chuunin Exams, something has been stirring in their ranks. They are starting to realise that they are just as worthy as the head family, and should have just as much right to determine their own lives. Over the years, things have gone from bad to worse. Strange accidents have befallen some of the... less friendly head family members, and one branch family member was found dead recently, stabbed repeatedly with kunai and then thrown in the river. Things are heating up, and if we don't change the clan radically soon then it will be the event of all those centuries ago all over again. Only this time there will be no escape. Only death."

After these words they both were silent for a while. Hinata absent-mindedly watched some children run by, laughing, rolling through the flowers and making a lot of noise. She watched as they splashed in the stream, saw how the light reflected of the water, noticed some birds fly away in fright of the ruckus. But she still saw everything in a blur, and she wondered if this would be the last time she saw these things. She had never imagined she would live the rest of her life in darkness, but now it seemed almost logical. What better Hyuuga than one who gives up everything for the greater good of the clan?

"I... see now why you want to do this," Naruto said suddenly, in a surprisingly soft voice. "I think I understand how you feel. You want to help your clan, and you would give your own life for that, just like I would give my life to save Konoha if it ever came to that. It's the same thing, only on a different scale. So I can understand it."

He clenched a fist.

"But... that doesn't mean I can accept it. Hinata, I... I can't sit by idly while they do this to you, I just can't! My mind says it's none of my business, but my heart..."

He shook his head.

"Hinata, there's something I have to tell you..."

She looked up, startled, panicked.

_Does he mean...? No, no, I can't let that happen... not yet! The trouble it would cause...!_

She recalled Neji's cold and determined words, words that had shoved her into a corner she had to get out of before she could even think of being with on the other hand... she wanted it so badly! She wanted to hear him say it, to have her doubts erased, to know he cared for her.

"Hinata," Naruto started nervously. "This... has been on my mind for a while now. Ever since I saw you again, to be honest..."

_...you are the heiress of Konoha's oldest and most influential clan,_ echoed Neji's voice in her head. _Naruto Uzumaki is a nobody when it comes to status. Your father would never allow you to be together_...

"You have really changed a lot over the years. I saw that immediately..."

..._he is determined to change this pathetic situation_...

"You have become all grown up... all ready to lead your clan one day..."

..._nobody ever leaves the clan, at least not for long. The elders won't hesitate to order your death if you run away_...

"My point is... what I really want to say..."

..._do you think your friends will stand by idly? Do you think Naruto will? They will try to protect you, they will fight the clan if necessary. No matter who wins, many will die. Because of you..._

"That I... that I really feel..."__

...because of you... you... you!

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata cried out, causing him to look up in surprise.

"What?"

"Please, please don't," she begged. "I made up my mind, so please don't make this so hard on me. I... had hoped you would support whatever decision I made, not make me feel bad about it..."

_That was too close, _she thought sadly. _But I did the right thing. I'm sorry, Naruto-kun..._

Naruto looked at her unhappily, wishing she would understand how he felt, why he could not just support her, but the moment had come and gone and he had missed it. He would have to reflect on that later – for now, he had to try and talk Hinata out of this craziness.

"It's not just about what I want," he said in a new attempt to change her mind. "It's also about what Neji wants. He says he wants to restore order and equality in the clan, but is that what he's really after?"

"I trust Neji," she said firmly. "When he told me his plans and my role in them... I knew he was telling the truth. His cause is a good one."

"Okay, but he's not the only one in this. Wasn't this whole plan the idea of that Rousoku? What if these Hidden Branch guys are just using Neji for their own goals?"

She sighed.

"By making him extra strong? I don't think that is very logical. Naruto-kun, I really appreciate that you... don't want to see me harmed, but can you not just consider that this might actually be the right thing to do?"

"No!" he said heatedly. "Rousoku looked much too smug to my liking, and that assistant of his is smarter than he seems as well. They're up to something, I can just feel it. So, how about you? Can you not just consider that they are in fact planning something bad? Would you want to give up your own future for some evil plan of theirs?"

Hinata hesitated. She recalled Kiza had been suspicious of Rousoku's plans as well. Could it be that she herself was just too gullible?

"No... I wouldn't want that, of course not. But I still trust Neji. So... I don't really know what to think."

She sighed again, then made a decision.

"Look here," she said with a new, strange determination. "Neji explained to me that the transfer technique that is used on me and him takes a lot of time and energy. So much that it cannot be completed in one go; it has to be used three times in total to make it work. If it is not completed, the effects will automatically be undone over time. They've already used it once last night, so a third of my power is transferred to Neji and a third of his seal has been erased, allowing him to use a third of the Namigen's power."

She looked into the deep blue of Naruto's eyes.

"If you can prove, before the technique is completed, that Neji is just being used, I'll escape with you. But if you can't, then I have to do this – I can't risk missing an opportunity to save my clan."

"And I can't risk losing you," Naruto said softly, causing her to blush.

"Alright then," he continued, "I'll prove to you that something shady is going on here. It seems they told you more than they told me, so any idea where I should start looking?"

She hesitated.

"I've been here no longer than you have... but I guess... you could try talking to Kiza."

"Who's that?"

"The heiress of this clan. A really sweet girl. She seems to harbour the same kind of suspicions against her father that you do."

Naruto nodded. "I'll look for her, then. What does she look like?"

"She shouldn't be too hard to find, I guess. She has long blonde hair, which is a lot less common among Hyuuga than dark hair. Apart from that it's hard to tell. I... I couldn't see her very well."

Unlike what she had expected, Naruto picked up the hint immediately.

"Couldn't you? Are you saying that your eyes... that they already...?"

She nodded. He stood up.

"When is the next transfer?"

"Tomorrow night... Neji will come pick me up when it is time."

"Then I have no time to lose. I'm going to look for that Kiza right now."

She smiled gratefully. "Naruto-kun... thank you. I'm glad I have someone like you with me here."

He treated her to a grin and a thumbs up.

"Don't you worry about a thing, Hinata. I'll get you through this in one piece, or my name isn't Naruto Uzumaki!"

He strode off with large, impatient strides, and Hinata watched his retreating back with a smile still on her face.

_If only you knew how glad you really make me, Naruto-kun... but the time for that hasn't come yet. But who knows, if we make it out of here okay..._

Her expression darkened a bit.

_I don't want to go blind. There are so many beautiful things to see in the world. I felt confident about this right after I made my decision, but now I'm starting to have my doubts..._

She looked around the small valley, watched children playing and women chatting happily, unaware perhaps of the changes that their clan might soon undergo. These people had lived here for hundreds of years; were they really still that tied to the Hyuuga clan of Konoha?

_Do they even really care about what is going on there? It's not their problem, after all. Wouldn't renewed contact only bring trouble for them, like those men said earlier?_

With a troubled mind, she leaned back down on the warm ground and stared up at the sky.

_I just want to do what's right... but what if there is no right way?_

***  


"I really don't see why you are so upset."

"I'm not upset! I'm simply displeased with the way you deal with things. You keep planning your own little schemes without informing me, constantly jeopardising our work in the process."

Rousoku turned around and stared at Neji with a hint of boredom.

"Are you still so worked up about that incident with the Bloodline Limit kid?"

Neji huffed.

"Don't play games. You sending Ingou out was a stupid decision which nearly ended it all, but that was nothing compared to this. Can you even explain why you thought it was a good idea to anger Naruto up to the point where he would release his inner demon? Was there even a plan, or did you just want to mess around?"

"It was necessary." Rousoku shrugged. "What's the point of you having such a rare power if we don't experiment with it? The ancient scrolls say the Namigen can suppress the tailed beasts' power. This was a test to check the validity of their claims."

"Idiocy. If I'd known that was the only reason you wanted to talk to him I wouldn't have brought him. What if the scrolls had been wrong? What if I hadn't been able to suppress him? I only carry a third of the Namigen's power right now, what if that hadn't been enough?"

"You worry too much. It worked, didn't it?"

Neji groaned in frustration.

"The Kyuubi's powers are not to be messed around with! You are so reckless, I don't understand how we even made it this far."

Suddenly, he took a step forward and slammed his hands on Rousoku's desk loudly, causing the man to start.

"But you know," he said quietly, "that's not what worries me most."

Rousoku eyed him suspiciously. The Namigen showed in Neji's eyes now even if wasn't activated; vague circles that nevertheless made for a strong disconcerting stage.

"No?" was all Rousoku said.

"Oh no," continued Neji. "What worries me the most is what else you could be hiding from me. What other things are you scheming behind my back? If you don't even trust me enough to inform me of these decisions, what bigger plans are lurking in the shadows?"

Rousoku smiled. "Anything else I might have planned is really none of your business, now is it?"

Neji's eyes narrowed. "I rather think it is. Tell me. Now."

"I really don't think-"

"_Tell me!"_

The authority in Neji's voice seemed to fill the room, his eyes seemed to become larger and his gaze became extremely intense. Raw power filled the air, and Rousoku's smile turned into a strange grimace. Now, he looked at Neji with something of worry, perhaps even a hint of fear. And then suddenly it was over, as sudden as it had started, and Neji had to lean on the desk to prevent himself from falling over exhaustedly.

"How dare you even use that on me!" Rousoku said angrily when he found his voice again.

Neji, who was panting and trembling, shot him a strange smile.

"Heh. I'm just - what did you call it again? – _experimenting_ with the power of the Namigen."

"If that had worked-"

"But it didn't. That's what matters, isn't it? Those are your own wise words."

Rousoku stood up. "Don't use that tone against me! Who do you think you are? I was leading this clan before you were even born!"

"But you're not very good at it, are you?" Neji asked subtly.

Rousoku's eyes narrowed.

"What did you say?"

Neji smiled. "I see things. I hear things. People whisper in the halls of your caves. They look at me as if they're seeing a ghost. You didn't tell them what is going on, did you?"

"I told them to not harm any of you, and that's all they need to know."

"Spoken like a true oppressor. Don't your people trust you, Rousoku-sama?"

"They don't have to trust me to follow my orders!"

"But they won't follow your orders if they don't trust you. You'll see."

Rousoku made an angry gesture.

"What are you even talking about? Do you know how to lead a clan? Do you have any idea how hard it is?"

Neji regained enough control over his trembling legs to let go of the desk and stand confidently in the centre of the room, where he spread his arms out wide.

"I don't have to know how to build a house to be able to see when someone has done a bad job at it. It's when it falls apart, you see. But don't worry about it. Not all men are born leaders."

Rousoku clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "Out," he hissed. "Get out of my office, right now."

"Oh come on, you're really only denying the obvi-"

"Get out!" roared Rousoku. "Leave right now and I might still be merciful enough to forgive you for your idiotic words!"

Neji made a mocking bow.

"As you wish, Rousoku-sama." He opened the door, but stopped in the doorway and shot the man a mischievous glance over his shoulder. "But perhaps it is time you started treating _me_ with the proper respect. For the sake of our cooperation, of course."

Then he left, and slammed the door shut behind him.


	12. Chapter 11

_Chapter Eleven_**  
**  
"Come quick, little missy!"

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"The new kid that arrived yesterday, he's causing all sorts of trouble."

"Like what?"

"Stealing, fighting... he doesn't listen to anyone!"

"I see."

"He broke young Kai's arm, too. I swear, that kid's a demon of some kind!"

"Hmm. Where is he now?"

"He climbed on the roof of the bakery and he's not coming down. We don't want to make this any worse than it is, but he lets nobody get close."

"I'll talk to him."

"If you could, that'd be great. Like I said, none of us can get close, but you..."

They turned a corner, and then the village square lay before them, bathing in the light of the fires. The girl halted halfway down the large stone stairs she had been descending and took a short moment to assess the situation from that viewpoint. A large crowd had gathered, and the people were staring at the roof of one of the buildings, on which a lone figure sat with his legs dangling carelessly over the edge. Dirty strains of black hair hung in front of his face, hiding his features.

The girl didn't hesitate. "Wait here," she told the others.

"Wait!" urged one of them. "You can't go up there alone. It's too dangerous!"

"No, it's the safest way. Don't worry, I'll be careful!"

She ducked into the alley next to the bakery and ran along the wall until she found a ladder, which she climbed. The roof was higher up than it had seemed from the ground, but she wasn't afraid. The tiles were still slippery from the rain that had fallen earlier that day, and the girl took off her shoes and socks to have a better grip on them. Then she carefully walked over the ridge and made her way to the front of the building, slowly approaching the boy's hunched shape. When she was about halfway there, he suddenly shifted around and raised his hand.

"Stay back!" he barked. His voice was surprisingly rough for such a young child. The girl halted.

"You should come down," she said. "It's not safe up here."

"You're telling me? I can take care of myself. Leave me alone!"

The girl smiled friendlily. "Why do you want to be alone?"

"I like being alone. It's none of your business. Go away."

"You've really upset the villagers. You should go down and tell them you're sorry."

"I'm not sorry. I don't care."

"If you want to live here-"

"I don't! Why would I want to live in a cave? They didn't tell me that. They just said it'd be a good place to live. But it's not. It's a dump."

"You've only been here for one day."

"One day too many. I'm going to leave."

"You can't leave. Nobody can. This place must remain a secret."

"Who's going to stop me? You guys are so weak it's pathetic. Unlike you, I can control my chakra. There's nobody here I couldn't beat."

"Why are you so hostile?"

"Because I am."

"Are you going to come down?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Fuck off."

A drop of water hit the girl's cheek. She looked up, and another one fell on her nose. Rain started to fall through the openings in the cave ceiling. The village square was built under one such opening so that the rain might wash it clean every now and then.

"It's starting to rain," said the boy. "If you're smart you go down now."

"I'm not going until you're going," said the girl. She took a step towards him.

"What are you doing?"

"You shouldn't be left alone up here."

"I choose to be alone!"

"I choose not to leave you." She took another step. The rain was pouring down now, soaking her clothes and chilling her. The tiles became slippery and treacherous with the flowing water.

"Can't you see it's raining?"

"It's only water."

"Stupid. If you can't use your chakra properly you'll fall."

"I'll manage."

"Just leave me already!"

"No."

"You'll break your neck."

"I didn't think you'd care."

"I don't!"

"Then don't distract me."

With the utmost concentration, the girl took another step, and another. She was only a few feet away from the boy now. She could vaguely hear the people on the street calling, but couldn't make out what they said. Her feet were cold. She stepped forward.

And then she slipped. Her feet fell away below her and she smacked full-length on the wet tiles, rolled over, tried to grab a hold of something, of anything, but her fingers kept sliding away. And then suddenly the roof was gone, and she was falling freely, and suddenly she noticed everything with perfect clarity; the raindrops that fell past her in slow-motion, the brick pattern of the wall next to her, the cold air in her lungs. Her face held a look of surprise as she tumbled down towards the ground, the hard, forbidding ground. She closed her eyes.

"Idiot! Stupid, stupid idiot!"

She opened her eyes again, looked into the boy's face, hardly visible through the thick, wet hair that was sticking to it. His eyes were half-grey and filled with angry menace. She felt his arms supporting her back and legs, just inches above the ground. Then he shook his head angrily, dropped her and ran down the alley. She didn't waste any time, but jumped to her feet and followed him. He was agile and quick, but she knew every square inch of this village off the back of her head. They raced through alleys and streets, their feet pounding on the wet cobbles, their vision blurred by the rain. Then the boy ducked into a shed, and the girl followed, but she was tripped up as she entered and smacked onto the floor. Behind her, the boy slammed the door shut, leaving her in total darkness.

She scrambled to her feet, and turned around. The boy was still in the shed with her. He was glowing, with a faint light that illuminated only himself. His eyes were the brightest, and they stared at her with unmasked rage. In two steps he reached her, and he grabbed her throat with both his hands, pushing her roughly against the wall.

"Why are you following me?!" he demanded. She tried to speak, but he held her too tight. She could barely breathe. She grabbed his wrists, but he was too strong.

"Why won't you leave me alone?!"

Specks of light danced through her vision as the need for air become more urgent. She flailed wildly with her arms, to no avail. For the second time within ten minutes she felt as if she was going to die... but then the boy suddenly came to his senses and released her. She fell to the ground, choking, coughing, breathing in fresh air. He stepped back, unsettled, then sank down on one knee and cautiously reached out for her.

"I – I'm sorry," he stammered. "I didn't mean to... but... why won't you just leave me be?"

She leaned with her back against the wall, breathing heavily, staring into his eyes. Then she smiled.

"You saved my life."

"Don't lie! You wouldn't leave me alone before that either. What do you want from me? Tell me!"

She observed him carefully. The light he radiated with was brighter now, and she could clearly see how dirty and worn-out his clothes were, and how scarred his arms. Even so, she estimated him to be several years younger than herself, if only because he was half a head shorter.

"Tell me," she said quietly. "Do you have anyone you really care about?"

"Myself."

"Well, I care about everyone in the Branch. And since yesterday, that includes you as well."

"So? Why follow me?"

"Because nobody should be alone," she said firmly.

"That's not your problem!"

"It is if you keep stealing and hurting others."

"That's just who I am."

"Then change."

"What, for you?"

"For me."

"Or else what? You can't force me."

"But that doesn't mean I can't try. And I will try. I will keep trying to change you. You can run away from me if you like, but I will find you again. Because even if you won't admit it, that is what you need. Someone who cares for you."

"I don't need anyone!"

"Not to survive, maybe."

"Then for what?"

"To _live_."

He stared at her blankly. She smiled encouragingly. She noticed that next to light he also seemed to radiate heat, which was just as strange but not at all uncomfortable, seeing as she was still soaked.

"You're a strange boy. Maybe you're a little young to understand what I mean."

"I'm not young! I'm eleven already!"

"You're powerful for your age."

"I know. And I like it."

"I can see that. But you don't need to abuse your powers here. We don't want to hurt you. We just want to help."

"I don't need help."

"Yes you do. You managed to surprise the people this time, but if you continue to try and steal and fight your way through life here they'll be prepared. And you can't take on all the villagers. I guess... you don't like to depend on others. But that's how it is down here. We all need each other. So you have to choose."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep. You can either accept that I will care for you no matter what and save yourself a lot of trouble, or you can try to keep fighting and end up at the same place."

He examined her curiously.

"You're serious."

"Dead serious."

"You want to help me even though you don't know me."

"That's who I am."

He nodded thoughtfully.

"Fine then. You can help me if you really want to."

"Great," she said happily. "That's settled then."

She extended her hand.

"My name is Kiza."

He hesitated, then shook it.

"Ingou."

"Nice to meet you, Ingou."

"Whatever. Let's get out of here."

***

The silence was pure and unambiguously cold.

The streets of the village were now darkened, empty and quiet, so very quiet. The large fires had been extinguished, and only a small number of torches illuminated the streets. They provided light, but barely any heat, and so it was cold, very cold. Not that it was ever warm, not even during daytime, but with no sun or fire to warm the stones they might as well have been made of ice.

It was this cold that drove the people of the Hidden Branch inside at night, and if anyone would choose to roam the streets in spite of the poor temperatures they would be almost certain to go unnoticed.

For example, nobody saw the cloaked figure as it entered town, walked down the main street hurriedly and then started to navigate its way through the maze of alleys that was created by the uneven ground and the somewhat illogically placed buildings. A left here, a right there – without hesitation, the mysterious figure moved onwards, making no sound apart from that of muffled footsteps.

Then, the figure suddenly halted and turned around. Rays of moonlight that had perchance fallen through the holes in the cave ceiling revealed a young woman's face framed with blonde hair, and within it two large white eyes that stared suspiciously down the alley, checking for any sign of life.

There was none. And yet she felt ill at ease.

With a sigh, Kiza leaned against the alley wall to think for a moment, and to gather her courage. The stone was cold and damp, but her woollen cloak kept her warm. Steam wafted silently from a nearby vent, shrouding the ground in a white haze. The air held a tinge of tension to it, or perhaps that was just her impression, coloured by her own uncertainties. Sometimes she wasn't sure what it was she was supposed to do. Sometimes she felt as if she couldn't make all these choices. But tonight, there was no room for these doubts. Tonight she had a task to complete.

Her people needed her. They were worried, they were restless, they were frightened. It was so noticeable, and bore such a sharp contrast to the carefree mood that otherwise hung over the town. In spite of Rousoku's efforts to keep things quiet, the arrival of the Konoha shinobi had caused quite a stir. Rumours had spread around, and now everyone knew it: the Branch was in danger, and Rousoku was to blame.

The people of the Branch weren't generally the types to rise up against their leaders. They were pacifists, and their leaders didn't tend to give them much reason to complain. But Kiza had never before seen them so uncertain and agitated as they were now. They had to be guided, or they would act rashly and cause their own downfall in doing so.

Absent-mindedly, Kiza played with the cords of her cloak. She felt as if she was carrying a pair of scales on her shoulders, with on the one side her people and on the other side Hinata Hyuuga. Saving one of the two was not enough. She had to make sure both made it through, or the whole thing would collapse.

_This is a test,_ she reminded herself. _I have to prove that I can be a leader to my people. But Hinata – she and I are the same. I can feel it. Our fates are tied together. If I can't save her, then I can't save myself. And if I can't successfully stand up to my father to realise my dreams, then neither can she. And my dream... is to keep my clan safe. Tonight it begins._

Reinvigorated, she pushed herself away from the wall. She had a goal, and she wouldn't let any doubts stand in her way.

As she continued on her way, she gradually started moving up a large, rocky hill, the largest in the entire cave. The houses were further apart here, and as she lacked a proper hold she had to be very careful not to slip on the loose rocks and gravel. She also couldn't help but look over her shoulder now and then. The silence and the darkness didn't scare her, but now that she was turning against her own father she didn't feel completely safe anymore, as if she had taken over part of his paranoia.

_If I'd just brought Ingou along, I wouldn't have had to worry about such things. But it would have ruined everything I want to achieve. He would just mess around with the villagers again, and we can't have that. I need their full attention._

She sighed, even though nobody was around to hear it.

_It's not his fault, not really. Yes, he is a troublemaker, but if the others could just try to be friendly to him for a change then he might lighten up a bit as well. But all they do is tell me to keep him in check, and that he's my responsibility. And they're right, of course. Who else does he have to turn to?_

Sure, over the years some of the other villagers had tried to get to know Ingou better, sometimes just because Kiza had asked them to, but Ingou simply refused to let anyone else get close to him.

_With some luck, that will change as he grows older, but until that day it´s better to keep him away from these meetings._

The meeting. She had finally arrived where she needed to be. She halted, almost at the top of the hill now. In front of her stood a wooden house, no larger than most of the others in the village but less plain and simple. It was decorated here and there with beautiful carvings, and the way it was constructed was almost playful compared to most of the other buildings. It was as if all the people had decided to pour their creativity into building this one house and neglected the rest of them. Kiza smiled at that thought, because she knew there was some truth to it. Until recently this had been her own house, the place where she had lived the larger part of her life. The villagers had built it for her, seeing as her father didn´t care for her and they didn´t think it was fit for their heiress to have to sleep at a different house every day. It was not uncommon to see new houses being built, and they hadn´t told her it would be hers until it was finished, which was on her eighth birthday. The people had long ago seen that Kiza was no ordinary girl, and treated her in kind.

Now, nobody lived there anymore. Kiza had moved back into the main cave system when she had been promoted to medical officer, so that she could be close to the hospital at all times. It was necessary in case of medical emergencies, and she didn't regret it, but sometimes she missed this place, which had never belonged to anyone but her.

She walked over to the door, looked over her shoulder once more, and knocked.

Immediately the door was opened, revealing an old man with a wrinkled face that lit up when he saw who was standing before him.

"Little Kiza! It's been many months since I've last seen you," he said warmly. "Come in, enter! You're the last one, everyone is waiting for you."

"Everyone?" Kiza stepped in the small hallway and waited for the man to close the door. "How many people were invited, exactly?"

"Whoever wanted to come, and that's a lot of people. You know how it is, don't you? They want a plan, something they can do. Now that Rousoku turns against us, we are in need of a real leader." He laid his hand on her arm. "We put our faith in you, little Kiza."

"Don't worry. I have a plan," she promised, before opening the door on the other side of the small hall and marching into the living room. It was a large room, but it was crammed with people nonetheless. It was also warm and sultry. All the furniture had been moved to the walls to create more open space. The people were chatting, but in slightly hushed tones, as if they were afraid someone might actually hear them. When they noticed Kiza, they slowly fell quiet; she was the reason they had all gathered here. After a minute or so everyone was facing her, rather expectantly.

Kiza let her gaze wander through the room. The Branch had long ago grown too large for one person to know everyone, but she still recognised most of the people, even if it had been some time since she had last seen them. And they had all come here just for her, to listen to her words. She took a deep breath.

"I will try to make this quick," she started, "because we're short on time as it is. As you all know by now, Rousoku has betrayed us. His own clan. We all knew it would come to this someday; his obsession with revenge has finally put us all in danger. Even after so many centuries, he won't give up this pointless struggle, even though everyone else has long stopped caring. And so, without caring how many people will get hurt or be killed in the process, he has decided to confront the head family, abduct their heiress and try to gain control over them. He says he just wants to convince them to let us return, and let the separated parts of the Hyuuga clan live together in peace again. But I know my father – his words are just that; mere words. He wants revenge, and revenge only. He will force us to fight against Konoha, a fight we cannot possibly win. We are not warriors. We have no shinobi to fight for us. We don't know anything about waging war. A few of Konoha's jounin would be enough to wipe us out. Rousoku knows this, but he presses on nonetheless. He gambles with the lives that he is supposed to protect. I have found out what his plans are – listen, so that you yourselves may judge how ridiculous they are, how dangerous."

She paused, for effect as much as for anything. The people didn't break the silence. They stood motionless. Perhaps a fist was clenched somewhere in the crowd, or a curse uttered under someone's breath, but that was all. And on the inside, Kiza smiled. These were her people, the people she cared for, the people she would die to protect.

"Rousoku," she continued, "has brought to the Hidden Branch three ninja from Konoha. Guided by long-forgotten texts in ancient scrolls, he tries to instil a power in one of them, a power supposedly so great that it would convince the head family not to take up arms. The other two are victims of his scheming, like we all. Now, listen carefully, because there is only one way for everyone to make it through this in one piece."

She raised one finger.

"First and foremost, we have to make sure that the head family does not find out about the Branch. It is simply too dangerous. There's no telling how they would react. The problem is, of course, that some of them are already here. They know we exist. And before you ask, killing them or keeping them trapped here wouldn't solve anything. The head family won't just sit by idly if their heiress disappears, and with their tracking capabilities they would eventually find us and destroy us. So what options does that leave? Only one. Negotiation. That is to say, we have to somehow convince our guests not to tell about the Branch at home. That would be the ideal situation. But they have their codes of honour as we have ours. They cannot just lie to their leaders, their friends, their family for our sake. So, more realistically, we would have to ask them to try and convince the head family to leave us alone. And I won't lie to you – this is a big gamble. From what we know, Hyuuga Hiashi is a just, but also a strict man, who tolerates no threats to his family. He could decide either way, and there is nothing we can change about that. _However_-" she suddenly raised her voice, causing some people to stir, "this is all just assuming that we can prevent Rousoku from ever confronting the head family, because if he does, that will blow any chance on negotiation we might have had. Which brings us to..."

She raised a second finger.

"The second point. Stopping Rousoku from giving that boy Neji his powers. If you thought point one was a gamble, then you better brace yourself, because as much as I hate to admit it there's no easy way to solve this. The fact is that Neji gains his powers by draining those of the girl that was with him, but I'll have you know that if any imbecile tries to harm her, he'll not only cause Konoha to bring destruction down upon us but will also face my personal wrath in the form of a bone saw. I'm dead serious about this – she cannot be harmed! Which, I'm afraid, puts us in the same situation as point one. Neji is Rousoku's weapon, so the only way to stop him would be by convincing him that he is just being used, that he is in fact on the wrong side in this. Again, negotiation. He believes that what he does is for the best of his clan, but that is only because he doesn't know Rousoku like I do. Like we all do. Rousoku would never purposefully give someone else powers like that if he wasn't sure he could control them in some way. So what we need to do is convince Neji that he is just a tool for Rousoku, that Rousoku has plans with him he's not telling him about. Fortunately, I have that part of the plan covered; that is to say, I have people working on it, and they're very close to finding proof of Rousoku's bad intentions. So you don't have to worry about that."

For a moment, there was silence, as the villagers silently reconstructed Kiza's reasoning in their heads. Then the fastest thinker among them suddenly asked, "Are you saying that, for all of us, there isn't anything we can do to save our clan? That we can't contribute in any way? Because right now, it all seems to hang on getting that evidence you talked about, and you said we can't help with that!"

"That is how it is," Kiza admitted. "We are in a nasty spot. Brutal force won't do anything for us now. What I ask of you, as your heiress and friend, is perhaps the hardest thing a leader can ask from her people: to do nothing when they face their largest threat. But I would not ask this if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Any whimsical action, any wild attempt to heroically save the clan by yourself will fail, and then Rousoku will take extra measures, quite probably preventing us from ever finding the evidence we need. So, for the good of the entire clan, I beg you not to do anything. I beg you... to have faith."

What followed was silence, an uncertain kind of silence. The people looked at their neighbours for support, but nobody really seemed to know what to do.

_They're not convinced,_ Kiza realised. _Haven't I been clear enough? No... I stressed how important this is. Why are they so hesitant? Was I too direct? I would have wanted to give them more time, but we can't afford that. We have to decide now. But... if they don't have faith in me, then what? What else can I do if I can't stop them from acting on their own?_

Suddenly, a hand was raised, somewhere in the back of the crowd. Kiza noticed it immediately.

"What is it?" she asked. The people turned around to look, and moved aside to allow Kiza to see who she was talking to. It was an older man, someone she did not know. Most of his dark hair had already turned grey. His eyes were blue behind the small glasses he was wearing, and his expression was unfriendly.

"Nice words. How long have you worked on that speech? No, don't tell me, I've heard enough senseless yapping already. Instead, tell me this: Who are you to decide what is best for our clan? You act as though Rousoku-sama is only doing this for selfish reasons. Don't you see he just wants the best for the clan as well? His ideas may be warped, but his motivation is still the clan itself. Why would your ideas of what is best for the clan be better than his?"

Kiza folded her arms. "Isn't it obvious? What Rousoku does puts the entire clan in danger. What I proposed will keep it safe."

"Safe?" The man shook his head. "You only look at the short term. Never in the known history of the Branch have the people rebelled against their leader. Never."

"Perhaps they have never been in such dire straits as we are now."

"That's beside the point. Don't you know history repeats itself? If you choose to stand up to Rousoku-sama now, you open a floodgate that can never be closed again. If you succeed, future generations will see how effective rebellion can be, and they will employ it for themselves. You think you're keeping the clan safe? You're ruining its peace, forever." He shook his head again. "If you make something part of the past, you make it part of the future."

A fierce, green-eyed woman next to him suddenly let out a humourless laugh. "Don't talk like an idiot, old man. I can tell you just what our future will be like - non-existent. If we let Rousoku-sama do his thing, we'll all be dead! So before you start muttering about Kiza-sama's idea, think of the alternative first, yeah? Crazy old git."

Several people nodded, some even yelled 'yeah!', but the man pointed an angry finger at the woman. "You call me crazy, but you're just too blind to see Rousoku-sama's good intentions. If he can work this out with the head family, we can all live in Konoha and be safe forever!"

"We already were safe until Rousoku brought those kids from Konoha here, you fool," she exclaimed, followed by more cheers from the crowd. "I'm not going to thank him for solving any problems he himself created!"

"Besides, we don't want to leave here," a tall, bearded man added before the old man could speak again. "This is our home. Konoha means nothing to us, it's just a name from the past."

"That's right!" said the woman again. "If we don't stand up for ourselves now it'll be our end for sure. So I'm going to do what Kiza-sama says! She already helped us more when she was a child than Rousoku-sama ever did as our leader." She looked around, raised her arms. "Who's with me then, huh? Who else dares to protect our clan instead of bowing to Rousoku-sama's petty ideas?"

A huge din arose as people suddenly cheered, threw up their arms and unleashed all their pent-up emotionis. A few of them started chanting 'Kiza! Kiza!' and soon everyone was calling out her name. The older man saw everyone was against him and angrily stalked off, slamming the door behind him. Kiza watched him go with suspicion in her eyes.

Then she sighed, shook her head, and looked at the cheering people with a smile on her face. No matter what would happen next, she had done well here. She had passed the first test. She wondered how much time she had left. Too little to do anything significant, she feared. There was just one thing left that she would rather get over with before it was too late, but if her instincts were correct and luck was on her side, that would announce itself soon enough. For now, she had achieved her goal.

_One step closer to getting out of this situation. I am not alone.  
_

***

Half an hour had passed. Slowly, carefully, Naruto stepped into the dark room, which was now empty safe for the young woman standing near the window, staring outside into the darkness of the night. She was standing very still, lost in thought, as if she was waiting for something she knew would come very soon. All the lights had been extinguished, except for one lantern that stood on the window sill next to her, and in the cover of the resulting darkness Naruto moved closer.

"Naruto?" the girl spoke suddenly.

Naruto froze. Had she heard him coming?

"How did you know...?"

"I figured you would show up sooner or later. Fortunately it was sooner rather than later."

Kiza turned around, lantern in her hand, and treated him to a strange smile that mixed both happiness and sadness, a smile not shaped by mere muscle movements, but by echoes reverberating from deep down inside, from the very core of her soul. It stirred something in Naruto.

"What's wrong?" he asked, rather impulsively.

"Wrong? What do you mean?"

"That look on your face. You're happy and yet you're not."

Kiza looked at him curiously, then sighed. She ran a hand through her hair absent-mindedly.

"Well, I guess that would about sum it up. With the uncertain future of my people I tend to feel a little sad sometimes. But I'm also happy, because everyone wants to help and solve our problems, even if that means going against the leader they always obeyed." She raised her eyebrows. "But you already know all this, right?"

Naruto folded his arms. "You knew I was listening in on you?"

"I don't believe it's a coincidence you walked in just moments after the last of the villagers left, if that's what you're asking. I'm glad you heard everything that was said, though. That saves a lot of explanation." She saw down on the window sill. "So, why are you here, Naruto?"

"Are you sure you don't already know that as well?"

She laughed. "I'm not psychic, don't worry. I'm just a confident guesser."

"Then, go ahead and guess."

"As much as I'd love to, it would really be easiest if you just told me what I can do for you," Kiza said quietly. She smiled, but Naruto detected a slight sense of urgency as well.

"Alright. I'll cut to the chase. What I want is the same as what you want. Proof that your dad isn't up to anything good. Hinata, she... she wants to go through with this. To help her clan. And she trusts Neji. But I think you're right, and that means her sacrifice - everything she has worked for - would be for nothing. And I can't let that happen! If I can find this evidence and show her the danger we're in, she'll know this is just a setup and then we can escape from here."

A worried look crossed over Kiza's face.

"You can't escape from here. Hasn't she told you about her illness?"

"That's the other reason I'm here. To keep her healthy until we reach Konoha, we need some of that medicine you have made for her."

"What? Naruto, that medicine only slows the progress of the disease down and suppresses its symptoms. It doesn't cure or heal anything. Even if she doesn't feel or show it, Hinata is very sick right now! It would be best if she didn't tire herself in any way, and running from here to Konoha is just out of the question. That could cost her her life."

"So then what?" Naruto said, slightly flustered. "We just sit here and wait until Neji extracts all of Hinata's powers? That will end her for sure! Then it's better to take our chances and run for it!"

"Escaping is pointless. Hinata doesn't have the energy to move fast right now."

"Then I'll carry her!"

"You won't be fast enough to stay ahead of Neji."

"I'll think of a way!"

Naruto clenched his fists with helpless anger. He knew Kiza was right. Of course Neji wouldn't just let them run off. No wonder they could walk around the Branch freely; there was no way they could escape. All day he had been searching for Kiza, hoping to find an ally in her, someone who could help him and Hinata escape, but it all seemed pathetic and pointless now. Wasted time, wasted effort. And all the while, the clock was ticking, slowly evaporating what little time they had left. He felt incredibly stupid.

But then, he suddenly felt Kiza's hand on his own. He looked up, saw the compassion in her eyes, knew how helpless he looked right there. But she smiled.

"We can make it through this, Naruto. All of us can. We just have to work together."

"What?"

"Trust me."

"Oh... yeah, okay. Sure."

Kiza walked over to the window and stared outside again, almost dreamily. Naruto looked at her, feeling strangely relieved. He couldn't describe it exactly, but something in the way she spoke told him that everything could still be alright.

"Is Hinata going to be alright?" he asked.

"I believe so. The medicine should buy us enough time to either develop a real cure or to get her back to Konoha. At least, under normal circumstances. Right now, we have to solve this Neji business first."

"I see what you're saying there. It's in our own best interest to help you, right?"

"Sweetie, I'm not just doing this for me. We're all in this together, and it is important to all of us to stop Rousoku."

"So, what do you think we should do then, if not escape?"

"You know what to do. You heard all I said, right? We have to find this evidence, about Rousoku's plans with Neji."

"But you said you had people working on that."

"Well... yeah. That would be you, actually. If you want to do it, of course."

"Me? Why me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you earlier! But I had to find a reason to keep the villagers quiet. They want to help, but if I let them search the library then my father will notice it and make it impossible for us to find what we're looking for."

"The library? Well, what makes you think I'll do better?"

"You're alone. It's not about who's looking, but about how many people. A crowd would attract attention, but one person wouldn't. And, well, I think you're the best choice to be that one person."

She smiled again, and Naruto nodded, not sure whether he should be grateful or not.

"This evidence then," he continued quickly, "do you know for sure it's in this library of yours? Anywhere else it could be hidden?"

"If it's not in the library, the only other place I think it might be is in Rousoku's office. I mean, technically it could be anywhere, but I doubt they would have hidden it somewhere secret if they didn't know we were looking for it."

"Eh, when you say Rousoku's office, you mean your dad's office, right?"

Kiza was silent for a moment.

"Yes."

"Then why don't you say-"

"Because that man is not a father to me."

The tone of her voice was suddenly very cold. Naruto looked away.

"I... I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Some bonds are best cut early."

Kiza turned around and looked at him pensively.

"You have been there, haven't you?"

"What, in his office?"

"Yes. Have you seen anything that looked like an old scroll or book?"

"Eh... I don't think so." Naruto frowned, trying to recall the images of the small room. The hearth, the desk... "No, definitely not," he decided. "There were scrolls, but none of them looked old. Are we looking for something like that?"

"Yes, we are. They must have gotten their information somewhere as well, and what better place to find information on ancient Hyuuga techniques than in ancient Hyuuga archives? Well, I guess that saves us the trouble of trying to break into his office, then. I prefer it that way, to be honest. You should know I tend to avoid that area - I haven't been there in at least ten years, I think. The less chance I have of running into Rousoku, the better." She rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I just hope we can all make it through-"

Suddenly she was cut off as someone knocked loudly on the front door. Panic flashed over her face momentarily, but she was quick thinker - she quickly grabbed Naruto and dragged him towards a large closet.

"Hey, what-" he protested, but she cut him off.

"Don't talk! Get in, quick, or we're all in trouble!"

He stepped in the closet hesitantly. "But who-"

"Doesn't matter, it's best if nobody sees you talking to me. I don't want you to make any noise-"

"Open up!" a voice came from the front door, followed by more knocking. "We know you're in there!"

"-no matter what, you stay here! Don't let them know you're here, you can't get caught up in this. You have to protect Hinata-"

"If you won't open up, we'll force our way in!"

"-make sure she doesn't tire herself. Take this-"

She pressed something into Naruto's hand, something small and hard; in the darkness, he couldn't quite indentify it. From the front door came no longer the sound of knocking, but of bashing, and that of splintering wood.

"-and go look for that evidence! It is the only way, you understand? Do it for Hinata-"

With a last protesting creak, the front door was busted off its hinges, and it hit the floor with a loud thump. Quick footsteps echoed in the hallway.

"-and good luck!"

Kiza shut the doors before Naruto could say anything else and stepped away from the closet just as three men entered the room. They were carrying lanterns, and Kiza immediately recognised the older man that had angrily walked away earlier that evening. The other two, who stood on either side of him, were strangers to her, but she suspected they were some of Rousoku's private 'guard'; a small group of Branch members that worked directly for her father and generally did what they were told to do out of loyalty, even if they themselves would disagree with the order.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kiza asked, trying to speak with arrogance befitting an heiress and almost succeeding. "What gives you the right to-"

"Rousoku-sama gives me the right," interrupted the older man.

Kiza raised an eyebrow. "And who might you be, anyway?"

The man smiled mischievously. Then he took off his glasses, removed his grey-haired wig, wiped the wrinkles from his face in a single movement and changed his stance. And suddenly, he had become a young man, with ash blonde hair and a self-satisfied look in his pale blue eyes.

Kiza's eyes narrowed.

"Modosu."

"_Now_ you recognise me. Well, I won't bother you for too long. I am only here to take you into custody."

Kiza shook her head, confused. "That's ridiculous. On what grounds?"

"Not like you wouldn't know. Conspiring against our glorious leader, of course. I have to say, I'm saddened to see it had to come this far. You were always such a nice girl."

"Cut the crap! You were there, you heard what I said. I just want what's best for the clan. I mean Rousoku no harm. I'm his daughter for crying out loud!"

"Well, obviously. And I'm sure he will forgive you for your misguided ideals. But he is really busy these days, with everything going on, so it may take a few days before he finds the time to decide on your fate."

Kiza took a step back, shocked by sudden comprehension.

"A few days? That... that's all you want, isn't it? You just want to have me out of the way while you ruin this clan with your reckless plans!"

Modosu shrugged in a bored fashion. "So? What are you going to do against it? You can't resist us alone. You are powerless. Did you really think you stood a chance? All your power lies in words, and words are just wind. They may persuade people, but they won't break the door of your cell. By the time you get out, we'll have what we want and the Hidden Branch will be packing and moving to Konoha. And that's that."

"You won't get away with this!"

"It seems you don't quite understand. We'll get away with this no problem." His eyes glinted with satisfaction. "You're probably forgetting that you yourself just told all the villagers to do nothing, to sit by idly no matter what would happen! Don't you see the irony in that? You meant to keep the clan safe by that measure, but now it allows me to arrest you without any difficulty. So as much as I would like to take the credit for this, I really have only you to thank. And you only have yourself to blame."

Kiza staggered as if hit with a hammer, and had to lean against the wall to balance herself. "You... you had this all planned out?"

"Yes, quite." Modosu glanced at his watch. "Well, if that is all, I'd like to get moving. It's getting late. Anything else you want to say in your defense?"

"Would it matter?" Kiza asked quietly.

"No," he shrugged. "It won't." He gestured, and the two men walked over to Kiza and grabbed her arms and shoulders tightly. She didn't resist; all her strength seemed to have been drained. They fastened her cloak around her shoulders and then led her through the hallway, over the remains of the front door and outside, into the cold, cold night.

The air was clear and the view over the sleeping village, spotted with fragile torchlight here and there, was breathtaking, but Kiza didn't look up. Her hair hung in front of her face, and her posture was that of someone who had been broken, beaten. Behind her, Modosu stepped outside as well, and inhaled the fresh air vividly.

"A beautiful night, don't you think?" he asked her. She didn't respond. He smirked.

"Don't feel so bad about it," he added. "There is nothing you could have done to prevent this. You took a risk by making your little speech here tonight, but of course you couldn't have known we'd be watching you so closely. Don't feel bad. You'll have plenty of time for that later."

Kiza ignored him. But his words sparked something in her mind, reminded her of other words, a conversation...

_A little speech?_

_"I have to do this."_

_"It's only a little speech!"_

_"For you, perhaps. For me, it happens to be a very important little speech."_

_"How can you stay so calm? Don't you see what this means?"_

_"I'm not stupid, thank you. I know what this means."_

_"Then you're not going, right?"_

_"..."_

_"Kiza, promise me you're not going!"_

_"I told you, this is something I have to do."_

_"Do it another time!"_

_"There is no time."_

_"Then let me come with you, to protect you!"_

_"I already said you're not coming. You know you would cause trouble."_

_"You can't stop me if I decide to go."_

_"But you won't."_

_"How can you just walk into their trap? After the trouble I've been through to get this information for you-"_

_"Don't say that. This information makes a great difference."_

_"Not if you're just going to get arrested anyway!"_

_"Walking into a trap you know everything about can turn it to your advantage."_

_"You're just saying that to shut me up. Admit it!"_

_"I wouldn't do that."_

_"Then tell me how."_

_"Look – I need to tell the people what is going on. They have to know. The existence of the entire Branch is at stake."_

_"Not my problem."_

_"Don't act like that. You're too old for that kind of behaviour."_

_"I'm telling it like it is."_

_"Well, I happen to care about my people, and if you care about me then let me do what I must do. I promise you they won't harm me."_

_"They'll lock you up."_

_"Only for a few days. It doesn't matter, as long as I can inform the people and convince them to stay calm. For their own safety. Besides, if Rousoku thinks he can win just by arresting me, that's all the better. I'll play my part, let them think they've won. That gives Hinata and her friend, Naruto, a chance to solve all this."_

_"You trust them?"_

_"I trust Hinata, and she trusts Naruto. So yes, I trust them. I just wish I could do more to help them."_

_"It's always about helping others! Think about yourself for once! How you can expect me to just stay put here knowing they're going to put you away?"_

_"Because that's what I choose to do. This clan means everything for me, and I'd be willing to give my life to save it if it ever came to that."_

_"..."_

_"What?"_

_"You're serious."_

_"Dead serious."_

_"Damn it! Fine, go get arrested then. See if I care."_

_"Thanks for understanding. I mean that."_

_"Whatever!"_

Now Kiza raised her head, ever so slightly, and a faint smile crept over her face. Modosu was still talking to her, but his words meant nothing, just like the men holding her prisoner meant nothing. They were as insubstantial as the cold air, as the mist around her, and they could not truly harm her because they could never lock away her hopes, or her dreams.

_Hinata, Naruto. It's up to you now. Please save yourself, because in saving yourself you will also save my clan. I have faith in you. I have done what I could, even though it was little, and now the real task is yours. Find out about my father's plans. Convince Neji. Then you can go back to Konoha in safety, and we can live on in peace. Don't forget the bond we share. Together, we stand strong._


	13. Chapter 12

_Chapter Twelve_

The floor tiles were cold to Hinata's bare feet as she stepped into the darkness of the small bathroom. Her hand moved alongside the wall, searching for a light switch; she found one, and flipped it. Hesitantly, a single lamp flickered for a moment, then stayed on. The bright light hurt Hinata's already sore eyes, but she didn't avert or cover them. She looked around absent-mindedly. The bathroom walls were coated with tiles much like those on the floor, only larger. The ceiling was made of wood. All of it was white, clean and smooth.

She leaned against the wall for a moment, trying to steady her trembling legs. She felt weak. About half an hour before, she had woken up in pain, pain in every inch of her body, so oppressive she hadn't dared to move for a while. More than before, she had realised that she was completely reliant on Kiza's medicine now, and even with that she could almost feel the disease eating away at her. Naruto had brought back a bit of that medicine after his talk with Kiza the night before, and Hinata had taken some of it once she had managed to move again, but there wasn't much left now – just enough to get through the day, probably. And tonight, she would have another third of her powers extracted, which would be ruinous for her health as well. At that thought, she suddenly felt nervous. The news of Kiza being taken away and locked up had shocked her, and had made her even more confused about whether helping Neji was still the right thing to do. Both Naruto and Kiza seemed convinced that it was not, but they had their own interests in this. Kiza to keep her clan safe, and Naruto... to keep her safe?

Hinata blushed at the thought. _I shouldn't delude myself like that. He cares for me, I know that... but I can't tell in what way. I might have known, and I want to know, but... I don't know if I could deal with the wrong answer right now. And there is too much at stake to let my own problems mix in this._

She looked in the mirror, stared at her own reflection. Not that there was a point. The state of her eyesight right now reduced her image to some blurry shapes, which didn't help to make her feel any better. She sighed.

_All the promises I made, the vows I swore, what do they matter now? To defend my rights, to fight for what I care for... to stand up for myself, for my own goals. But how can I do that if the two things I want most cannot both happen? I care for my clan and my family, and I'm willing to give up all my powers for them, but I also care for Naruto. So much... and if I go through with this I give up on ever being with him. Even if I make it through, he wouldn't care for a blind, powerless girl. Not in the way I'd want him to._

She walked over to the shower and turned it on. With a hiss, the water spouted from the shower head and hit the floor with a surprising amount of noise. Hinata reached out gingerly, touched the water beam with her hand. It was cold as ice. She shivered, and goose pimples formed on her arm. She patiently waited for the temperature to rise, then took off her clothes, hung them over a towel rack and stepped into the stream, closing the shower curtain behind her. With a sigh of relief she felt how the hot water caressed her shoulders, loosened up her muscles and washed away the dirt and sweat of the past four days.

_If I had let him finish his words,_ she mused dreamily, _what would I have heard? Did I interrupt him because I was afraid he'd say what I want him to say, or because I was afraid he'd say something else? In the heat of the moment, I might have jumped to conclusions. Why would he like me as anything more than a friend, if he hasn't seen me in years? But they also say love can just hit you out of the blue... so what if he does feel that way about me? I could be making a huge mistake here._

Slightly peeved with herself, she let the water run over her face. It reminded her of that night, when she had shouted at Neji, had told him she'd rather die than live without Naruto. And he had trapped her, putting the lives of her friends at stake, telling her her love was impossible. If her father found out...

She suddenly froze as a new thought emerged in her mind. If her father found out, yes... but what if he didn't find out? What if she just straight up asked Naruto, but didn't tell anyone about it? His answer would give her some peace of mind either way, and perhaps so much more... and if they kept it secret long enough, her father wouldn't have to disapprove and they could avoid all the trouble Neji had summed up!

_Is this the chance I've been looking for? I just want to be with him, care for him, show him how much he means to me. I would want to see his kind smile every day... even if I have to keep quiet about it to everyone else._

She smiled guiltily to herself, but she felt undeniably excited by the idea. She couldn't deny standing up to Neji had felt exceptionally good, and she wondered how it would feel to do the same to her father.

_It has been decided, then. If I get a good chance, I'm going to ask Naruto how he feels. I just hope I can work up the courage for that..._

On a shelve next to her stood a number of tiny glass bottles with coloury contents. She couldn't read the labels, but she had had the foresight to ask Naruto to identify them for her the evening before. She picked one she knew contained shampoo, removed the cap and brought it to her nose, and inhaled the sweet scent carefully.

_Lavender. Why not?_

Gently but firmly, she lathered her long, dark hair, taking her time to make sure she didn't miss a single spot. As long as she kept herself occupied, she wouldn't have to think about tonight, wouldn't have to give in to the panic that slumbered just beneath the surface. She didn't fool herself; calm though she looked, it was just a mask, part of the barrier she had developed during her life. On the inside, uncertainty and fear raged. But she couldn't let that show. Controlling your emotions was one of the traditional values of being a shinobi.

"Hey, Hinata!"

With a shriek, she dropped the shampoo bottle, which hit the floor with a terribly high-pitched sound but miraculously stayed in one piece.

"Naruto-kun?" she stammered. She hadn't expected him to be awake already, and the doors didn't have locks on them to prevent any guests, or rather captives, from locking themselves in, which didn't really add to the sense of privacy.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," his voice came from the other side of the curtain. "I just wanted to say I'm going to find this library I told you about."

"Ah. Yes. Okay." She hugged herself apprehensively.

"So, I'll meet you there later on? That is, if you want to help. You don't have to, of course. I mean, I wouldn't mind, but if you don't feel like it-"

"I- I do! But... I can't read with these eyes, so I don't think I would be a lot of help... but I might come to keep you company, if that's alright?"

"Yes, of course! I mean, be my guest. I'll see you there, then." He paused. "So, I'll be going now."

"Yes."

"Um. Are you okay, by the way?"

"I'm fine, really. Just washing my hair."

"Ah. Want me to rinse it?"

"N-Naruto-kun!"

"Just kidding! I'll see you later."

Hinata waited for the sound of the door slamming shut, then breathed out in relief. She could almost feel the fire on her cheeks, and her hands were so shaky she nearly dropped the bottle again as she picked it up.

_Controlling my emotions, who am I kidding? Even just hearing his voice makes my heart go crazy..._

She quickly finished her shower, dried herself off with a rough towel and put her clothes back on. They were dirty and smelly, but that was unavoidable for a shinobi on a long mission, and she was used to it. She brushed her teeth with her orange toothbrush and ate some of the food that had been left outside the door and brought in by Naruto while she had been showering. She noticed he hadn't eaten even half of it, even though it wasn't that much – he had probably left most of it for her. She felt strangely touched by that. Naruto wasn't generally one to leave much food.

She looked at the clock – it was almost eleven in the morning. She quickly finished eating, then stepped outside, closed the door and looked down the long corridor.

_Where should I go? I could go the library as well... even though I can't help, at least I could be with Naruto. Though that might just distract him... maybe I should go outside, get some fresh air again. I don't think I'm fit to live my life underground like the people here._

She put her hands in the pockets of her vest, and her right hand touched something small and hard – the tiny plastic container that contained Kiza's medicine. She gripped it tightly. Without that medicine, she would be done for soon enough. Being with Naruto or going outside would have to wait – she had to tell Neji about her sickness. He was the only one who would listen to her and might be able to get her more medicine.

However, she had no idea where she could find him. After all, the only time she had seen Neji down here was when he had picked her up at the hospital area. She didn't know where his room was or what he was doing during daytime, and she doubted any of the Branch members would know.

_No, wait. There's another place I know he's been at least once. The chamber where the transfer ritual took place. Neji said it was in some sort of temple... he might be there to prepare for tonight._

It was worth a shot. With that aim in mind, she followed the tunnel all the way to the hall that separated the outer caves from the inner caves. She was pleasantly surprised to see that there actually was a tunnel labelled 'temple' – it just went to show that things didn't always have to be difficult. Feeling strangely cheerful she started walking following the winding path, and she quickly noticed that no other tunnels connected this one to the rest of the inner cave system. The reason for that was probably a practical one; this tunnel led into a different direction than all the others, which would make it a lot harder to connect them. It was also sloping upwards, against Hinata's expectations – she had vaguely expected that something as symbolic as a temple would lie a lot deeper for a people living underground.

After she had been walking for about ten minutes without meeting so much as a single soul, the tunnel widened again and opened into a much larger chamber, the details of which were impossible to make out as it was pitch dark. Hinata felt disappointed. For some reason she had fully expected Neji to be here, but she doubted he or anyone else would walk around in this darkness. She turned around again, wondering where to look next.

Then a sound arose from the centre of the chamber, a soft moaning of someone in pain. Hinata froze, looked over her shoulder and tried to peer through the darkness, which didn't work.

"Hello?" she called. There was no response, just another groan, softer than before.

"Is anyone there? Are you in pain?" Hinata tried, but only silence greeted her words this time. Nervously, she grabbed a nearby torch from the wall and stepped into the chamber. The fire didn't produce nearly enough light to make her comfortable, and she kept a watchful eye on the shadows that seemed to be closing in around her. The echoes of her voice gave her a vague idea of the dimensions of the room, and it didn't seem to be unusually large, but it certainly was unusually creepy and if not for her caring nature she would have long turned around and run away.

Now she could hear unsteady breathing just ahead of her. Her heart pounded like the drums on a speeding warship, her hands were trembling, her eyes were fixed on the edge of the dome of light. The air was very cold. A few more steps, and then she saw a hunched figure on the ground, facing away from her, quietly groaning in agony.

"Um... excuse me," Hinata began in a shrill voice, but the figure started, jumped up and lashed out at her. In a reflex she crossed her arms before her chest to block the blow, but the force behind it was so strong she got knocked back and fell to the ground. Her attacker walked over to her unsteadily, and looking up she saw who it was. Towering over her stood Neji, his features lit by the fallen torch, but it was also not Neji – his protruding eyes showed no trace of awareness of what was going on, but they were furious with pain and an animal-like ferocity. The veins on his temples bulged as if they were about to burst as he directed his gaze at Hinata, who tried to crawl away backwards. With a lightning-fast movement he grabbed her throat and pulled her up, holding her dangling above the ground with no apparent effort, but this time Hinata was prepared and she struck both her palms against the arm holding her, forcing as much chakra into it as she could muster. Neji cried out in pain and was forced to drop her, and as she hit the ground she rolled over and then ran, and ran, and ran for the light of the exit. The darkness seemed to lunge at her, and behind her she could hear Neji's anguished screams, but she reached the doorway safely and kept running all the way back to the entrance hall, not once looking back. Soon, Neji's cries could no longer be heard, but they still echoed around in her mind as she frantically tried to make sense of what she had just seen. She had to find Naruto!

***

In a storage room, somewhere at the very edge of the inner cave system, Kiza sat huddled up in a corner, staring at the wall, thinking. There was nothing else to do. The room was mostly empty apart from some dusty crates which, she had quickly found out, contained some rusty tools and some greasy, oil-stained rags. Then there was the thin mattress, worn, pale and ripped up here and there, but still the only thing she had to lie on, and a blanket which smelled terrible but at least kept her warm. And that was all she had.

The reason she was there was because the Hidden Branch did not have any prison cells. It didn't need any; crime was almost non-existent as it was completely pointless. Who stole from another Branch member only stole from himself, and who upset or hurt someone would do so in the knowledge he'd have to live with it for the rest of his life, since nobody was ever allowed to leave.

So Modosu had put her in here, far away from anyone else, with a solid lock on the door and two guards a bit down the hall. She knew about the guards thanks to her Byakugan – like most Branch members she had never developed it quite well and her range of vision was positively miniscule compared to that of the Hyuuga from Konoha, but it sufficed in these situations. Not that she had any use for this information. She wasn't going anywhere.

She found herself wondering how long her medicine would sustain Hinata. She had not been able to make many pills in such a short time span and with everything going on, and she feared that as Hinata's disease progressed she would need more and more medicine to suppress it. She had told Modosu of her worries, and he had said he would look into it, but she didn't trust him any further than she could see with her Byakugan, which, as said, wasn't very far at all.

She stared at the wall. She wondered how long she would have to sit here, alone, without the faintest idea of what was going on. Then she decided she would rather not know, and tried to think of something else.

It helped that at that moment she could hear footsteps nearing her room. Alarmed, she got to her feet. Whoever was approaching had to be coming for her – hers was the only room in use out here.

The footsteps came to a halt, and the door was unlocked and then flung open, carelessly. A man entered the room.

"Hello, Kiza," he spoke.

Kiza's features darkened noticeably.

"What," she asked once she had gathered the right amount of contempt in her voice, "do _you_ want?"

"That tone of voice..." Rousoku examined her curiously, as if she were a caged animal. "You haven't changed much, I see. And in other ways, you have changed quite a lot."

He closed the door behind him, and when he regarded her again he did so with an infuriating disappointment in his gaze. "Kiza, Kiza, Kiza," he said sadly, and every word made her blood boil. "When did you become so rebellious?"

"When? You ask _when_?" She quivered with anger. "Oh, I don't know! Maybe around the time you decided I wasn't worth caring for and left me to take care of myself? Left me to _die_? Could that have been it? Does that ring a bell to you at all?"

Rousoku held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Do calm down, would you? I am not here to argue."

She jumped at his words like an angry cat, claws brandished. "What do I care what you're here for? How do you even dare to stand in front of me after everything you've done? In case you haven't noticed, which I know you haven't, my life has been really pleasant without you! So by all means, go back out that door and never show your face again!"

Rousoku hesitated. "You are obviously very tired and confused," he said eventually, "So I won't hold your words against you. Let's get to business now."

"I mean what I say!" Kiza cried, but Rousoku silenced her with one sign of his hand. He was obviously getting annoyed with her already, and when he got annoyed he got unpredictable. She stared at him darkly.

"I have been told that you hold quite a sway over my villagers," he said, "and that you have been encouraging them to reject me. A ridiculous notion, as I'm sure you will come to see in time. You are far too young to understand the responsibility that lies on my shoulders. I am honour bound to fulfil our ancestors' wishes."

"Honour bound!" she exclaimed. "And what about the villager's wishes? Are the voices of the dead more important to you than those of the living?"

Rousoku licked his lips. "The voices..." he started, but then stopped again. He eyed his daughter suspiciously. Then he shook his head.

"The villagers don't know what is best for them. What kind of life is this, hiding in these caves? Are we any less than the head family, that we are not allowed to live in the rich Konoha?"

"These caves are our home!"

"No. They're just a hiding place, and they've never been more than that. Our ancestors never intended for us-"

"There you go again, with your ancestors! Stop living in the past! Look around you, and try to see what is real for a change rather than what you want so badly to be real."

He waved her words aside with a simple gesture, and she realised she wasn't getting through to him at all. He was too stubborn, too caught up in the illogical contraptions of his own mind. She could only hope Neji was a more open-minded type.

"You still haven't said why you are here," she insisted coldly. "And I would appreciate it if you could just get it over with and leave. Your presence annoys me."

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "I had intended to try and make you see reason, to make you understand that the last thing this clan needs in its current situation is internal conflict. I had hoped that you would be willing to make up for your mistakes and use your influence to tell the people to follow and respect their rightful leader, as they should. But I can see you are a lost cause." His mouth was a thin, hard line as he looked down upon her indifferent, almost arrogant expression.

Then he smirked.

"You're just as ignorant as your mother was."

A moment of silence followed. Then Kiza looked up at him, her gaze sad but unflinching. "I figured you would say something petty like that. Do you think anything you can say about her can hurt me now? She is gone. You might as well have some respect and not speak ill of the dead."

She could tell from his expression this was not at all the reaction he had hoped for; his smirk disappeared and his eyes darted from left to right. She felt little but contempt for him, a weak man pretending to be a leader. She folded her arms.

He might have gone on arguing, but thought better of it.

"Fine," he said instead. "It doesn't matter. You can rot in here for all I care. I was merely offering you a chance at redemption." He shrugged. "You're still my daughter, after all," he added without the slightest hint of warmth.

A stunned silence followed.

"What?" Kiza asked, as if she hadn't quite understood.

"I said, you're still my daughter. After all."

Kiza looked at him incredulously. He hastened to explain.

"I wouldn't have given anyone else a second chance like this, you see. But since we're blood relatives..." His voice trailed off uncomfortably as Kiza looked away. He frowned. He felt something was off but couldn't put his finger on it.

"Did you...?" he started, but stopped again. The atmosphere in the room had changed, and he knew it had something to do with her.

Then, finally, came her voice, terrifyingly soft.

"Your daughter...?"

She looked up at him, and something glistened in her eyes, something that unsettled him more than her words alone. It was a fierceness he had never seen before, but it was completely under control, like a katana is deadly under the control of a samurai. He was astounded to find that it frightened him, and he had to fight the urge to back away as Kiza slowly stepped closer to him until she had to look almost straight up to stare him in the eye, which she did.

"No," she said quietly, and her voice could have split solid rock in two, "that bond between you and me was broken long ago. You have become just an obstacle this clan has to overcome, nothing more."

Rousoku wanted to interrupt, but there was something about her that left him unable to find the words or even the breath to speak them with. Her gaze was intense like a seething fire and as unavoidable as death itself, and this sudden change was very disconcerting. He started as she suddenly stirred, but she only moved to her toes and brought her face next to his.

"I will not let you destroy us," she whispered in his ear, "and I will not let you ruin Hinata's life the way you ruined mine. I swear on my mother's grave, if I get out of here – which I will, eventually – and I find out you laid so much as a finger on Hinata, then I won't rest until I have inflicted every ounce of pain you caused her back on you. Thousandfold." Then she leaned back and regarded him calmly.

Rousoku was stunned. He was utterly unable to come up with a response. He tried to speak again, but his words seemed to wither on his tongue. He looked away, stared back into her eyes, then looked away again and suddenly turned around and paced out of the room angrily without saying another word. He slammed the door behind him, and some dust came twirling down from the ceiling.

For a moment, Kiza stood there, calm and immovable as a statue.

Then she breathed out and slumped down on her mattress triumphantly, feeling extremely relieved and pleased with herself. She hadn't intended to say what she had said, but it had come naturally, a result of the silent anger and frustration she had build up towards her father over the years. It felt exceptionally good, as if she had gotten a load off her chest.

She had always been a positive thinker, of course, and she couldn't help but feel this little victory, insignificant though it was, might signify a larger trend, just like her successful speech had the other day. She felt that she was on the right path in dealing with her father, with the clan, even if she didn't know where that path would end. But she hoped it would lead to a brighter future. And not just for her own clan, but for the one in Konoha as well.

She stayed on this train of thought until she got bored with it. Then she jumped on another, and after a few minutes she was staring at the wall again, lost in thought.

She wondered what Naruto was up to.


End file.
